Crossroads
by Fahne
Summary: She didn't want to talk about her past life, the memories and the secrets. Locked away deep inside her, what happens when a certain Cajun tries to unlock them? Lots of romance and action! Rogue & Gambit ROMY
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note; **This is my first fanfic, but I hope you'll like it. English isn't my native language so it might be a bit packed with grammar mistakes. Please feel free to point them out to me so I can correct them. ^^

In this story I've changed and added some characters, but hopefully that won't be a problem. Now enjoy!

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_Chapter One_

**Path of a Soldier**

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She knew she had found the right place the moment she stepped through the broken doors. _ The perfect place for an ambush_, she thought.

It was a small desolate yard completely covered in sand and dust. Debris, parts of metal constructions and the remains of wooden boxes were covering the ground, some of it still on fire making big black clouds of smoke rise towards the grey sky. The yard was surrounded by tall buildings, only leaving a small patch of the sky visible high, high above her. The buildings, which were still under construction, were clearly abandoned.

_Looks lahke no one have been here in years_, she thought scanning the buildings after possible hideouts. Of course as all the buildings were missing their walls she could see right into the buildings, but the inside was cloaked in shadows.

_Great. For all Ah know there could be hundreds of assassins hidin' behind the pillars ready to jump on meh as soon as Ah turn around._ She groaned and cursed silently. But she knew the assassins would never confront her unless she was on their territory, so left with no other choice she walked to the middle of the yard and waited. Patiently. She peered warily into the buildings, searching after a moving shadow or a human shaped silhouette. Turning around she scanned the other buildings after something revealing. But she couldn't detect anything out of order. As she examined the buildings she couldn't help but wonder what possibly could have happened to make the construction so damaged. On several places it looked like the concrete simply just had fallen apart, on other places she could detect several bullet holes, making the exterior looking like a Swiss cheese. Some parts of were covered in plastic covers functioning like a temporary walls, ragged and worn, and on other places clearly torn, likely by something dead-sharp like a knife or a sword. She mentally shrugged and closed her eyes trying to _hear_ something telling instead.

With eyes closed to the world she could almost feel the mysterious atmosphere creeping on her, making her shiver. She could only hear the soft flicker of the plastic covers waving in the weak winds and the crackling of the small fires behind her. Unnerved by the lack of encounter she squatted and started to make small circles in the sand with her finger. Still listening with her eyes closed she waited. And waited. After 15 minutes she could feel the passing time started to wear on her nerves, making her tense and nervous. Just as she stood up to try and stretch her muscles she heard a flicker of clothes. She tensed and warily looked around after the source of the sound. Seeing nothing suspiciously she dismissed it only as the wind. She started stretching, trying to chase the stiffness away. Another 2 minutes passed by. Still nothing. She sighed.

_Ah hate when Ah hafta wait_, she silently complained. But after another 5 minutes she finally heard something from the building behind her. It was the sound of a shoe scraping the ground. She didn't move an inch to acknowledge the sound but mentally prepared herself for an attack.

Waiting in suspense she closed her eyes again eliminating everything but the sounds of her attacker behind her. Only the silent flap of clothes warned her as her attacker jumped from the building and lunged after her. With a quick roundhouse kick her foot connected with the assailant's head, throwing him hard to the ground with a loud _thud_. She only got a quick look of her attacker, large man completely covered in black clothes armed with a katana, before she ducked to the sound of a sword cutting the air just above her were her head had been a second ago. With a quick kick backwards she knocked down the second assassin and turned around just to see that another three black dressed men join the two first. She ran towards them dodging the first punch, grabbing the assaulter's arm and twisting it making him flip in the air and fall to the ground. With only an inch margin she avoided the second man's katana, kicking his hand making him drop it. She grabbed the katana in the air and sliced the man on the chest making him stagger backwards. The third man saw his chance and attacked her, swinging his sword at her face. She tried to step back from his reach but a moment too late to stop the katana making a clean shallow cut on her cheek.

She growled and staggered backwards, hand on her cheek. When she saw the blood on her hand, she bared her teeth and glared dangerously at her attacker.

"Ah'right, now it's serious", she spat and lunged towards him, with the katana poised beside her. He parried her attack but she twirled and ducked fast as a snake, slicing his legs. In her periphery vision she saw the other assailants started to move again. She twirled around just in time to block a descending blade, twisting her katana making the other blade fly high up in the air, disarming him. With lightning-fast moves she attacked again. They started attacking her all at once now, making her block punches and kicks from all angles. Spinning, dodging and parrying. When they surrounded her all at once she ducked and then only to fly up in the air, flipping backwards, landing on a safe distance. They ran towards her but she knocked out the two first attackers with a roundhouse kick, hurling them towards the others. As they lay in a heap she launched herself into the air, landing knee first on the attackers. She could her one of them groan and the sound of ribs breaking.

She smiled and somersaulted out of harm's way. But as soon as she stood up she got hit by a powerful kick, launching her into a concrete pillar. A scream erupted from her throat as she hit the pillar, making it break. Her back exploded with pain making her gasp for air. She landed on her knees, with debris and dust falling all over her. Trying to recover, she slowly stood up. A taste of blood filled her mouth. She spat out the blood and gripped her katana more firmly, thanking her luck that she never dropped it.

_Tahme to end this_, she thought and attacked again.

Her blade cut through the air like a silver snake, cutting and slicing her enemies in a beautiful yet deadly dance. She was lost in the moment, concentrating only on her movements. The battle had a rhythm; she could feel it coursing through her body, heating her blood. The rhythm of a pulse, the rhythm of a beating heart, the rhythm of a deadly blade's swings and cuts, striking its' targets. It was a dance she was familiar with, it had taken her years to learn it but now it had become a living breathing part of her. In moments like these, time meant nothing to her. Only the steady rhythm and the beauty of the moment were in her mind.

All too soon the fight was over.

She paused and looked around, trying to catch her breath. The moment she realized that all the attackers were knocked out she sighed deeply, dropping her katana to the ground. A wonderful feeling of accomplishment swept through her, making her shiver in delight.

With the last of the adrenaline washed away, she could feel every bruise, every sore muscle and every cut. But the feeling was a comfort and a reminder of life.

Only in these moments she could truly feel that she lived.

She closed her eyes, relished in the feeling and the glorious moment. A small smile played on her lips.

"Simulation complete. Targets eliminated."

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The world around her suddenly blurred into a hazy mixture of colours. The golden light from the fire, the silver-streaked sky and the concrete buildings started to melt away, pooling on the ground and vanishing. Her katana was the last to fade away.

Feeling content with her session, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and went out of the Danger Room. Outside a familiar face greeted her.

"Rogue, hi!"

Katharine (or Kitty as she insists on) Pryde, codename Shadowcat, was a tall lanky girl with long brown hair. She utterly radiated innocence and a youthful naivety, with big expressive blue eyes and a perky smile. She had Rogue completely fooled first time they met. Under all the layers of innocence and chick-flicks hysteria lured a devious master hacker and computer wizard. When Rogue found Kitty hacking through Government's top secret files, her impression of the girl made a 1 80. That's when the seemingly dissimilar girls became best friends.

Rogue smiled at her friend. "Hiya, Kit-kat. Ya're next on the schedule?"

Kitty sighed. "Yeah, Logan like so want revenge after I missed the session yesterday. But I like so lost track of time when I went shopping. Now I have to take extra morning sessions on _weekends! _Can you believe that!?"

Rogue chuckled. "Yeah, that's not so hard t' believe. Besides, Logan has been on the war path ever since Bobby accidently iced his car. Ya should have seen Logan's face when he saw his favourite car crack up from the cold! It was-"

"-Not a pretty sight." Someone interrupted. Rogue turned around and met the gaze of her mentor and friend.

"Uh, hi Logan, didn't like see you there." Kitty giggled nervously. Logan turned his stare on her and she quickly went quiet.

Logan, codename Wolverine, was a short but heavily muscled Canadian. As a senior member of the X-men he was in charge of the older students training. He spent most of his time either supervising in the Danger Room or sitting in a bar drinking. As a loner and a bit of an outsider, Rogue had found much in common with him and they had formed a quite strong bond. She looked up to him as a mentor and a great fighter, but thought most of him as the only friend that really understood her. They both had gone through a lot in life and there was a silent understanding of not digging in the past, which she respected him for.

"Get in there Half-pint, and start your training", he growled at her. She gulped and quickly escaped into the Danger Room.

"So... How did Ah do?"

"You did well, Stripes. Still has to work on your reflexes though. You and your team have training session 8 in the evening with the others. Better have them prepared. Now hit the shower."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks, Logan"

He only growled in response and went back to the control room. Rogue smiled and went in to the changing rooms. She sighed and rolled her shoulders, trying to chase the stiffness away. She paused in front of the mirror and looked at her reflexion.

Rogue wasn't exactly tall, but she was far from short. With a curvaceous body and intense green eyes she was very attractive. Her long auburn hair was pulled back and secured by a hair tie, leaving two long stripes of white hair framing her face. The hair was long and flat, but curled a little where it had soaked up the sweat. She was dressed in her customized black and grey X-men suit, now dusted and a bit worn after the training session.

Rogue inspected the gash on her cheek, scraping off the now dried blood. She scoffed and silently made a note to herself to include speed exercises in her training programme.

She unzipped her suit and pulled it down halfway, turning around to see her back. It was badly bruised, and she winced at the sight. Not particularly pretty. She closed her eyes and started concentrating. In her mind hundreds of people crowded. They were the remains after she had worked her powers, and she called these residues "_Psyches"_. Some were humans, but most of them mutants. They were a loud and noisy bunch which she kept behind strong mental walls to keep her sanity. Before she had learnt the wall-trick they had been running amok in her head, always bothering her and keeping her unfocused on reality. It had been a difficult and hard time and she didn't miss it.

Concentrating she looked through the crowd and finally found who she was looking for. Walking up to Logan she faintly touched him and tapped his mutant powers. A rush of his powers went through her. When she looked in the mirror again the bruises on her back was slowly fading. She smiled and took off her suit and went into the showers.

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After a long hot shower Rogue changed into more comfortable clothes; a dark green long-sleeved blouse and a pair of black washed-out jeans. And most important of all; her gloves. She never went anywhere without them. Rogue's mutation was on her skin. With a single skin-to-skin touch she absorbed memories of her victims. The longer she kept contact the more memories she got, but if she held on too long the person faints, falls into coma and even dies if it lingers long enough. After the absorption a psyche of the person was created, piling up in her head. If it was a mutant she even absorbed the powers. Her powers had evolved enough, so now she could tap any powers she once had absorbed at any time. Of course, even that had its limitations. A time based limitation. Her psyches get quickly tired, but she was working on expanding the time she could tap their powers.

Her powers were extraordinary and most people would consider them a great gift. Rogue however considered them her curse. For 8 years she had been deprived of touch, a basic human need she was denied. And it was driving her crazy. But she buried her feelings deep inside her, locking them away just as she covered her pale white body from the world. She kept up a facade as a strong and independent woman, never letting it slip, never letting anyone see her true self.

She looked at herself in the mirror, arranging her clothes so not a sliver of skin was exposed neck down. Taking her time she fixed her hair and applied make-up on her face. There was a time when she favoured the gothic style, with all the black attire and make-up it included. Now she had gone for a more normal style, but still favouring dark clothes. She would rather drown herself than trying on anything remotely pink or overly bright, despite Kitty's attempts. She had her standards.

She applied mascara and black eyeliner so her emerald eyes were perfectly framed and with a finishing touch coloured her plump lips blood red. She scrutinized the finishing result. Not bad. Just as she was packing up to leave the door slammed open and a very tired Kitty dragged herself in.

"Oh god", she moaned. She was completely covered in dust and her face was smeared in dirt. Like a zombie she moved to the bench and dropped herself on it.

"Remind me to never piss off Logan again. Ever."

"Erhm, Kitty? Yer arm's on fire."

Kitty yelped and quickly put out the ember. Rogue couldn't help but chuckle.

"Shut up, Rogue", Kitty muttered, clearly not in the mood.

"Ah'right ah'right, but you have only yahself to blame."

Kitty groaned and closed her eyes as if falling asleep. "I know, I know. Doesn't make me feel better though."

"Well, ya can take out yer frustrations on the rookies lahter. We have training with them 8 o'clock."

Kitty giggled. "Aah, I love having my own team to push around. The sweet privileges of being older."

Rogue grinned. She, Kitty and two other members were old enough to soon be fully fledged X-men. They had been separated from the other younger students, now being personally coached by Logan with a more personal training programme. They had also been assigned three of the younger students each, to train and instruct, making their own team.

Rogue's team was called the Jade Team, consisting of Cannonball, Havok and Sunspot. The boys were a rowdy bunch, and she had to lead them with an iron fist to keep them in check. But even if she were their leader she had fun with them during their training and they respected her. However the testosterone overflow gave her a lot of headaches.

Kitty's team was the Ruby team. She had the unruly Boom Boom, Magma and Dazzler. They were all girls, notorious for always gossip and giggle the life out of the other teams. Even Kitty had trouble with their constant giggling sometimes.

The third team leader was Evan Daniels, also called Spyke. His team name was the Opal team, but more often referred to the Beasts because of, well... You can imagine. The team members were Wolfsbane, X-23 and Berzerker. The normally calm and composed Spyke had trouble sometimes to contain his animals, but they were still an excellent team.

Fourth and last leader was Kurt Wagner more commonly known as Nightcrawler. His team were the Jet Team consisting of Jubilee, Iceman and Multiple. These were the rascals, always making pranks on people. Iceman, or Bobby, was the worst of them. Nightcrawler always had to have them in check, 'cause if he let them out of sight only if for a few seconds they always got into trouble.

So whenever the four students weren't working on their personal training, they competed with their teams, always trying to be the best. This of course led to some rivalry, even outside the Danger Room, which Logan constantly had to steer up before any accidents happened.

Rogue's team were so far the leading team, winning almost every challenge that was put up for them. Which of course they never let the others forget.

"Yeah, well mah team's so gonna kick yer ass today, Kit-kat. None of ya have beaten us for ages!"

"Hold on! We beat you like last week, when we had the assault course."

Rogue scowled. "Ya cheated! We would have won if yer girls hadn't went all haywire and started seducin' mah boys during their round!"

"Hey, even with distractions you're supposed to pull it off!"

"Even when the distraction is three teenage girls almost strippin' their clothes off in front of 'em?"

"Well, like yeah." Rogue raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever", she growled. "Ah'm gonna go and grab something to eat. See ya later, Kitty." Kitty who was still exhausted just closed her eyes and waved her off.

"Later, Rogue."

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A/n: Well that was the first chapter as you can see. My first fanfiction, still trying to nail down the characters, so please don't flame me ^^'

Now REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

**The First Steps of a Journey**

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At 8 o'clock all four teams gathered in the Danger Room waiting for Logan to inform them about the day's exercise. The atmosphere was tinged with anticipation and excitement. Danger Room sessions could be a real bitch, especially with Logan in command, but when it was between the four different teams they all couldn't help but feel a bit competitive and high-spirited. It was fun, and they all enjoyed the good-humoured bantering which occurred between the teams.

Rogue was currently chatting with her teammates about "things ya don't wanna do if ya wanna survive".

"No really Alex, nevah _evah_ call Logan badger. Or if ya hafta, have _at least_ a 20 miles head start, ya do not wanna be caught callin' him that," Rogue cautioned him. The boys chuckled at the half-joke, but made a mental note to actually never call the Wolverine that. For some reason, being chopped up and eaten for breakfast wasn't so appealing for them.

Alex, codename Havok, was quite dissimilar to his brother Scott. He had unruly, long blonde hair that he constantly stroked back since he never used any hair products to stylize his hair. (Rogue suspected that had to do with that he was always in the water, surfing, making it completely pointless to do anything with it). All those hours under the sun had tanned his skin to a nice cream-brown colour everyone envied him for. He was always cheerful, joking all the time and pretty even tempered.

His teammates Roberto aka Sunspot and Sam aka Cannonball, was just as jovial and entertaining as he was. Roberto, however, had taken cockiness to new levels. The Brazilian was so confident Rogue wasn't sure it was entirely healthy, so she had decided to peg him down a few notches on the ladder before he hurt himself. But despite all her efforts he still remained on the same level of idiocy. And it certainly didn't help with all the attention he got from other errmh certain X-ladies. Something that was completely incomprehensible to Rogue. Sure, she thought, he looked kinda nice with those black curls and bronze skin, and he had a really nice smile but other than that… Maybe it was the arrogance that was attracting? Blockheadedness is apparently very charming for certain people.

Sam was definitely the calmest of all of them, always maintaining his composure. Unofficially he was the one that kept the group out of trouble (especially when the rivalry between Roberto and Ray flared up), or at least tried his best to not to get them killed when the other two lost their heads. Rogue was eternally grateful that she had him on her team, otherwise… well she would rather not think of what would happen otherwise. Sam was not the only one that attracted a lot of attention from the opposite sex. After his arrival at the institute he had made a complete makeover. His dirt blonde hair had gotten really long, so he started to have it gathered in a hair tie, and completely unintentionally created a really bad boy look. Apparently he had one of his ear pierced, which no one knew before when his hair covered his ears and most of his face. How surprised everyone had been when they discovered it.

But yes, her boys did attract a lot of attention from a lot people, but not all of it was good. Some branded them as troublemakers but Rogue knew they just liked to have a good time, it just went a little overboard every now and then. But they made a good team and she was proud to be their team captain.

When the boys noticed that Rogue had started to space out they all started to indulge themselves in a very fascinating topic. Namely the Rubies (1) who stood not so far away chatting and giggling, completely unaware of the boys gaze on them.

"Those suits look kinda good on them, don't ya think?" Roberto said and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. The other two boys chuckled and glanced mischievously over at the girls who were giggling over a newly cracked joke. Amara finally noticed their gazes on them and with a nod made the other girls aware of them… Which only made them crack up in giggles again, blushing by the attention. The boys, clearly proud of have caused such a reaction, looked very pleased with themselves… Until Rogue, who finally had snapped out of her daydreaming, smacked them at the back of their heads clearly annoyed by the hormone break-out.

"Don't even think 'bout it boys. Ah swear to gawd if ya lose concentration again 'cause of some battin' eyelashes Ah'll give ya so many extra training sessions ya won't be able tah walk bah the end of tha week", she growled with her southern accent getting thicker and thicker by the second.

"What, we haven't done anything." They said and smiled innocently. Rogue scoffed.

"Not yet anyway."

It was about then Logan walked in his usual gruff manner. All the conversations stopped and they laid all focus on him.

"Alright boys and girls, listen up! Today's session we're gonna have a competition between the teams… With a prize for the winners."

The moment the word "prize" left his lips the room buzzed with excited voices and squeals. Rogue could feel a rush of adrenaline as she heard the word.

_A prize? Hah, whatever it is, mah team's gonna win it, _she thought confidently. They had spent hours and hours laboring in the Danger Room, training arduously to be the best. When she looked at her team she knew it had given result.

Unlike most of the other teams, Rogue had insisted on training the boys in martial arts. She had done it for several reasons. One, if their powers were to fail for any reason, it was essential to be able to defend themselves anyway. Two, instead of just regular training (weightlifting, bench pushing etc) martial arts required more than just strength. It required flexibility, agility and coordination, abilities she appreciated much more than just raw muscle power. She knew most guys tended to ignore this and just focus on pumping their muscles until they were so chunky they could hardly move. So when she was assigned her team, getting them more lithe had been first on her priority list. Combining it with their powers and outstanding teamwork they simply had become the best.

So, she might be a bit cocky, but hell, she had reasons for it.

But the other teams was just as confident as her to win the prize (whatever it was), which resulted in a heated debate of who was going to win. Sam, Alex and Roberto had just joined in, and in a confident borderline arrogant sort of way reminding everyone of which team had won most of the challenges so far. Rogue would have smacked them again for their arrogance, if she hadn't full-heartedly agreed with them. So she was content with just watching.

It was then she noticed that the Ruby Team hadn't joined the debate. They stood on the outskirt watching and grinned in a 'we-know-something-you-don't' sort of way. Rogue eyed them suspiciously, wondering what they were up to when Logan suddenly cut her track of thoughts.

"_Enough_!" He bellowed, clearly annoyed for being interrupted by the outburst of excitement. The room fell silent once again. He scoffed at them.

"You got to win the bloody prize before you celebrate, rookies", he snarled but continued. "For those who's interested to know, the winners of this challenge are gonna accompany me tomorrow on a mission. I'll reckon this will be your first mission, except for your team captains of course."

The news was received with cheers and optimism. If the eagerness to win had been an ember in their eyes before, it was now an inferno. Rogue, Kitty, Kurt and Evan simply grinned at their enthusiasm. They remembered their first mission they embarked on a couple of years ago, and it has been as exciting and thrilling as the expectations for it had been. Going on a mission was a big step to become a part of the X-men, an occasion worthy of celebration... But only if they won the contest.

Logan, who was now getting irritated with all the liveliness, growled and yelled a command out in the thin air.

"Start simulation LTP-087!"

"Order confirmed. Simulation LTP-087 initiated."

The first thing Rogue became aware of was the wind. It was cool against her warm face and had a sharp smell of salt and seaweed. _The ocean_, she thought. Curiously she looked around and the sight which met her eyes astonished her.

They were on a small desolate island, covered thickly in soft green grass and nothing else except one tree. The island had no banks or shores; instead it was elevated over the sea creating steep cliffs, with the ground level high above the surface of the water. The endless ocean surrounded the small island almost on all sides. On one side though, directly in front of them, was another island. Its ground level was slightly higher than the island they stood on, making it impossible to see anything else than the white rocky cliff it represented. But what really caught their attention was the thing between the islands.

The island they stood on had a tree at the edge of the cliff, and so had the other island. The trees were tall and wide as a car, and curiously enough the trees were connected with four thick ropes. The ropes ran across the wide gap between the islands, set in an order so the ropes created a sort of "tunnel" without walls. Rogue already knew what the challenge was as soon as she saw it. They were going to climb up to the top of the other island, across the gap. But the trick was, the four thick ropes were only the skeleton of the construction. Several obstacles were attached to the ropes, which would make it considerately more difficult to get across. Then again, that was the main point.

The obstacles were different; on one place there was something that only could be described as a spider's web, created by smaller ropes attached to the 4 original ropes that connected the trees. On another place there were a set of swings, and another place a sort of square wall attached to the ropes, with holes big enough for a human to climb through. And so it went on with different hindrances, all the way to the top of the other island.

The first thing Rogue did was to walk to the edge of the cliff and look down. Directly below the construction was water, and thankfully enough not so far down that if you should fall, you wouldn't die of it.

"Let me guess", Bobby said. "We're supposed to get to the other side."

"Ah, man! That's easy! We'll win the prize in no time", Roberto said and winked to his teammates.

"Not so fast, sunshine. Yeah, the objective is to get across, but there's gonna be some rules", Logan said ominously. Rogue had a bad feeling about this.

"First off; no powers!" A big exclaim of frustration came from the young students.

"One team at a time is gonna cross to the other side. The team captains' task is to coordinate and advice them through the communicators. However, the other teams are allowed to use their powers to distract, as long as you don't use your powers _directly_ on them or damage the construction in any way. The team with the best time wins, but if you fall into the water you lose. Any questions?"

Amara waved her hand in the air, and Logan nodded.

"You said we could distract, but not use our powers on them or damage anything, but I don't see how else we can distract them?"

"Well, this is your chance to be creative, so that is what I advise you to do. Now, anymore questions? No? Okay then, Elf's team begins, then Half-pint's, Porcupine's and last off Stripes'"

Evan and his team walked towards the tree but were blocked by Logan.

"Oh, and another thing. You have to use this", he said and held up a long rope and grinned.

"A rope? What for?"

"A little thing I forgot to mention. You have to get through the course, with your feet tied together."

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Apparently Logan didn't want to make it easy for them. The obstacle course was hard enough in itself, but adding distractions and having their feet tied up together just made it close to impossible.

Kurt's team, the Jets, started off, but they were going very slow and they spent a lot of time arguing of what to do all the time. Meanwhile the observing teams (_sans_ team captains) tried to come up with some creative distractions. Berzerker, Magma and Havok used their powers to 'almost-shoot' the Jets. It proved quite successful in the beginning, but the others soon learnt to ignore it, since they know they wouldn't be hit. They were after all not allowed to use their powers _directly_ on them.

After a while of shooting and aggravation the Jets were _still_ on track, almost at the finish line. It was then Boom Boom came up with a brilliant idea. She made one of the biggest bombs she had ever made, and dropped it into the water beneath.

Two heartbeats after; a big explosion of water came, bursting up from the chasm like a giant geyser, drenching everyone close by. Rogue was one of the unfortunate, and after all the water had rained down from the sky again she was completely soaked. While the other victims glared viciously at Tabitha (who only grinned and shrugged) Rogue spat and sputtered trying to get the salty water out of her mouth and nose.

But the idea had apparently worked, because the Jets were nowhere to be seen. They all looked down the cliff, and sure enough, there they were bobbing at the surface of the water. Kurt bamfed down and rescued them.

Next up was the Ruby team. They did much better than the previous team, right up until the point Bobby frosted the ropes they were hanging onto, making them slip and fall into the water. Rogue couldn't help but laugh when they were up in safety again. They looked like evil drowned rats, with all their make-up running and disappointed faces. They glared viciously at her when they heard her laugh. Rogue tried to stifle her laugh, but all in vain.

The Opal team was next, and they were to first to make it through the entire course despite all the others' attempts. Rogue seethed in frustration. Her team was next up, and they had to do the course faster than the Opals in order to win.

"Ah'right boys, this is it," Rogue said to her team. "You hafta beat the tahme 4:56 in order to win, but it should be plenty enough, unless ya do anything stupid. Now go out there and nail this!"

In order to successfully get through all the obstacles one had to be very flexible and lithe, just as she trained them to be, so it turned out to be easy enough. Rogue kept a close eye on the other teams, warning them if any distractions were incoming. Tabitha dropped her mega bomb again, but since Rogue had warned them in time to grasp tightly to the ropes, they made it unscathed through the giant geyser. But she knew it wasn't over yet, so she eyed the other teams warily, especially the Rubies.

All of a sudden the Rubies gave out loud catcalls to the boys, catching their attention. The boys looked confused wondering what the hell happened now. Rogue had an oncoming feeling of dredge and her fears were soon confirmed.

The girls, who were still completely drenched in water, smiled at the boys seductively, tossing their hair à la Baywatch style. In a painfully slow way they started to unzip their suits, stopping just above from what was inappropriate and leaned a little forward showing off some cleavage. The boys had completely stopped in their tracks to look at the girls with wide eyes, gaping like fishes.

"Boys? Boys?! Get a grip for gawds sake!!" Rogue yelled through the communicator, trying to get their attention.

But they didn't listen, and when Tabitha blew them a kiss they smiled sheepishly. Rogue was getting really annoyed and was just about to shout something really nasty at them when she saw Kitty nod to Alison.

Alison grinned in reply, and then fixed her eyes on the boys. Rogue knew what was going to happen, but her warning was too late. There was an ominous devoid of sound and suddenly, a flash of light so strong it blinded everyone who was looking.

Rogue blinked, trying to get the sunspots behind her eyes to disappear.

"Gawd, that's nasty", she said and blinked several times. When her sight came back to her she looked over where her team had been. They were no longer there.

"Noo", she groaned and covered her face with her hands, knowing full well that they had lost the contest.

The Opals cheered and whooped as they were the only ones who hadn't fallen down into the water which made them the winners by default, while the other teams looked at them in utter disbelief.

Suddenly the world around them melted away and they stood once again in a big, metal room. Alex, Roberto and Sam sprawled on the ground in front of her, making a pool of water around them. When Rogue gave them an accusing glare they looked up at her with shame colouring their cheeks.

"Alright teams, good work", Logan said and then turned to the still cheering Opals. "I'll see you at the Blackbird tomorrow 9 sharp, fully dressed in your suits. If you're late you're gonna be left behind, so no slacking."

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"Ah come on Rogue, don't be a sore loser!" Kitty pleaded. They were sitting at the breakfast table the morning after and Rogue was still in a bad mood after the latest training session. Well, that and it was morning. She wasn't famous for being a morning person and it hadn't helped that she had been woken up by Kitty who had crammed up her stereo on max level playing one of her favourite boy bands. It was a morning to remember.

A year ago she, Kitty, Kurt and Evan had been given their own rooms placed in the seniors' corridors. Rogue had thought that she finally, FINALLY, wouldn't have to put up with Kitty's early morning moods or pink decorations or her three hour long phone calls about nail polish and cute guys. But no, she had gotten the room right next to Kitty's room which conveniently had a very thin wall (or it was just Kitty who was very loud) so she could hear Kitty _all the time_. It was a nightmare she could never escape! And Kitty moved around like they still lived in the same room, just phasing through the wall with no forewarning what so ever.

Really, Rogue loved Kitty, they were best friends but sometimes she just felt like choking her to death. Or at least until she got a bit woozy for the lack of oxygen so Rogue could have a few tiny moments in silence for herself. Was it too much to ask for!?

Well, she had at least her own room she could now decorate however she wanted. And the room was a big upgrade from her last. She had now her own TV, computer desk, queen sized bed and the best of all; her very own bathroom! So it might have been worth it even though she had Kitty next door. Just _might_.

Rogue scowled as she took a bite of her bagel.

"Ah'm not a sore loser. Ah'm just saying we would have won if ya didn't cheat."

"That wasn't cheating! We were allowed to distract-"

"With your powers that is!"

"-so we didn't break any rules. Besides, it was Dazzler's powers that made you fall."

Rogue was just about to give a snappy retort when Kurt suddenly bamfed into the kitchen.

"Guten morgen", he greeted and yawned. He was still in his pyjamas just like Kitty and Rogue. Still half asleep he staggered to the fridge and took out the juice, sighing when he noticed it was empty.

"Morning, Kurt!" Kitty greeted in her usual perky manner. Damn her for being so cheery in the morning.

"Vhere's Evan?"

"He and his animals are out on their mission, remembah?" Rogue reminded him and took another bagel.

"Oh right, I forgot. Vhat kind of mission vas it again?"

"It's a simple recruit mission, so they should be back soon."

"Hey guys, do you remember like our first mission?" Kitty asked with a nostalgic smile.

"You mean the one vhen ve vere supposed to recruit Rahne? Didn't we accidently blow up her dad's car?"

"Yeah we did, maybe not our best first impression", Kitty replied and chuckled. "But at least we got her onboard."

They continued to chat about their first missions, remembering the excitement and all the mistakes they made all the time. It didn't take long before Rogue got out of her bad mood and joined the conversation.

After a while they finished their breakfast and were just about to clear the table when Scott came into the kitchen.

"Guys, Evan and his team will be back in a minute. Let's go and meet them at the dock. "

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They all stood waiting at the dock still in their pyjamas when the Blackbird finally landed.

Scott and Jean walked up to the plane when it opened and was just about to greet them when they suddenly stopped.

Out came Logan, Evan and his team and they looked like they had been training in the Danger Room for days. Tattered clothes, singed hair and completely covered in dust. Rogue gasped at the sight of them.

"What tha hell happened to yah!?"

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"The Rubies" is the nickname for The Ruby Team consisting of Shadowcat, Magma, Boom Boom and Dazzler. Jades, Opals (sometimes Beasts or Animals) and Jets are the nicknames for the other three teams.

**A/N**: Omg, the danger room session was sooo hard to describe!! If you could imagine at least somewhat of how it looked like, I'll feel relieved. Fortunately I won't be delving too much into further sessions the upcoming chapters, it'll be too much. Anyway I hoped you liked this chapter, still no Remy, but he'll be there the next chapter! Woho!

Nooow I hypnotize you to revieeeeew . push the little button down theeeere

REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

**Age**:

**Unknown**: Wolverine

**29**: Storm

**26**: Angel

**25**: Psylocke, Cyclops

**24**: Jean Grey, Gambit, Pyro

**22**: Forge, Colossus

**20**: Spyke

**19**: Rogue, Shadowcat, Nightcrawler

**18**: Iceman, Sunspot

**17**: Cannonball, Boom Boom, Dazzler, Berzerker

**16**: Havok, Magma, Wolfsbane

**15**: X-23, Jubilee, Multiple

**A/N**:

_Italics: Thoughts, words in other languages or emphasized words._

»_Mind conversations_«

"Normal conversations"

_//Flashback//_

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_Chapter Three_

**Before the Night**

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"What tha hell happened to yah!?"

Logan only growled in response and the others sighed and groaned, too exhausted to answer. Rogue noticed that even though their clothes were torn and ragged and they looked like they have been running for hours, none of them had any wounds just bruises and small cuts. She cocked a questioning eyebrow.

But when it was obvious they wouldn't get a response Scott ordered them down to the medical bay to get checked up on by Mr. McCoy.

"And Logan, meet me in the War room as soon as you've changed."

As soon as the opportunity arose Kurt Kitty and Rogue jumped on the Opals firing away questions at a speed of 100 miles per hour.

"What happened to yah?"

"Are you like okay?"

"Vhat happened to the recruit?"

"Oh my god, is that scorch marks?"

"Guys, guys! Chill, okay", Evan interrupted waiving his hands to get them to calm down. "Logan will explain everything, so talk to him alright? Right now I just wanna collapse on the closest bed and sleep for three days." A collective groan of agreement came from his teammates and they stalked off to the med bay.

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Patience wasn't one of Rogues strong suits. As a matter of fact, she hardly knew what the word meant. But there were times when she was forced to wait longer than she cared for and which inevitably lead to her annoying the crap out of all the people within in a radius of 20 feet. But she had learnt that if she occupied herself with something while waiting it wasn't so bad. After hours of training she had learnt to do pen flourishes. During tests, Scott's rants about ethics and morals and other tedious moments she amused herself by letting a pen flow and spin around her fingers effortlessly. As a matter of fact, as soon as she had a pen in her hand she did flourishes without thinking. Kept her hands occupied while her mind was working.

But this time she didn't have a pen. She didn't have anything she could occupy her hands with, so she had to be content with drumming her fingers on the table to a nonexistent tune. Her foot accompanied her fingers soon enough on the floor, which awarded her with several annoyed glances. She tried to stop… Really…

On the opposite side of her sat Cyclops, Jean Grey and Storm talking in a casual manner as if they didn't have a worry in the world. But Rogue knew better. She eyed Scott suspiciously, looking for the telltales signs she had learnt to watch out for.

Scott was one of the most difficult people to read. His face was disciplined into an impassive facial expression and his eyes were constantly covered with his red shades due to his uncontrollable mutation. He rarely expressed any sort of emotion to anyone (except for his wife Jean of course), unless one knew where to look. Rogue knew, she had observed him for a long time now and she read him like an open book.

Sure enough, the signs were there. The slight frown which could easily have been mistaken for his natural state of expression, but Rogue knew indicated worry. He also had his hand on his wife's, stroking her knuckles with a thumb, like he tried to soothe her. Now that practically screamed impatience.

She also detected worry on the regal Kenyan goddess and the red haired telepath as well.

On the outside they all looked normal, but there was a tension in the atmosphere. Under the surface a zillion questions raced through their minds, threatening to emerge.

What had happened? Was there a new threat? Had there been a fight? Against who? To what purpose?

So many questions, and the one who held the answers were late. _Seriously, how long could it take to change one's clothes?_

Kitty, who sat beside her, had started to pick up on her feelings and echoed her anxiety by wriggling in her seat while casting worried looks towards the others. Kurt hadn't joined them since he had got a phone call from his human girlfriend Amanda, but he had asked for them to give him the update as soon as they knew anything.

Rogue's patience had started to wear thin and she seriously wished she had a pen.

Just as she was about make an outlet of her feelings, Logan stalked into the room in his usual brisk manner. Everyone tensed considerably and looked at him in anticipation, completely betraying their previous nonchalant behaviour.

"Tell us what happened, Logan"

Logan glared a little at Scott and dumped himself on a chair opposite of him before he started to explain everything. Everyone listened intensely to his story without interruptions.

The mission itself had apparently worked out fine, even though they hadn't been able to recruit the young mutant. Her parents had wanted to try and help her control her powers on their own first. It was rare that a mutant's parents didn't fear for her powers. In fact Rogue could count on one hand how many times she had heard of such an occasion. It was an unusual gift, so Logan had agreed to let her stay with her parents. Though only after giving them contact information to the institute, if anything happened so the X-men could be there to help. The juniors had also talked to the girl and helped her deal a little with the idea of being a mutant, sharing their first experiences of it. All in all it had had a good outcome.

It wasn't until after the mission the problems had started. Logan had left them only for a few minutes, leaving Evan in charge, to check out the local neighbourhood. During his absence the kids had heard some nuisance from a ruined building not so far away and they decided to investigate.

When Scott heard this he raised one eyebrow enquiringly.

"They decided to go and investigate a noise which could have been a potential danger, when their leader was absent?"

"As I said, the Porcupine was in charge and the rookies somehow managed to persuade him to go and investigate."

"Well, what caused the noise then?" Rogue asked impatiently.

"Two mutants who were playing around."

"Playing? You mean like kids?" Kitty asked sceptically.

"No, they were adults, who were flaunting their powers in the public without caring if they get caught."

"Then what was the problem?"

"The rookies had to of course go and confront them, picking a fight without thinking first."

"Uh-oh."

"Exactly. What's worse was that these guys weren't some random punks who can't walk the talk. I'm telling ya, they were trained for battle and taking out the kids out of the crossfire weren't exactly a walk in the park."

"Hence your state of appearance?" Storm asked.

He nodded curtly.

Scott looked impassive but Rogue could almost hear the cogs in his head turn.

"Do you have any reason to believe that they are a threat?" He asked after a while.

"They could be, but can't say for sure. At that point though it didn't look like they were doing anything else but messing around. They were clearly trained for combat, but that doesn't have to mean anything. And even if they are a part of some secret organisation that utilize mutants it doesn't have to mean they've got anything to do with us." He replied with a shrug.

"What were their powers?" Kitty asked.

"One controlled fire, don't know if he could generate it though. The other threw things which exploded on impact."

_Wow, those are quite impressive powers._

"Woah! That's kinda intense!" Kitty exclaimed, echoing her thoughts. "No wonder you looked so beaten up."

She was well awarded with a dangerous glare from Wolverine, who had already become irritated by the constant interrogation. She cringed uneasily in her chair.

While Scott questioned Logan on the last of the details, Rogue sat silently and imagined how it would be if she had the power to control fire or make things explode.

»_Aww man, it would totally rock to have that kinda powers_«, Jubilee's psyche in her head suddenly said. Rogue frowned. What the hell? When had the psyches escaped from her mind walls?

»_My powers are way cooler than theirs_« Roberto injected with an arrogant smirk. Jubilee stared wryly at him and then smacked him in the head.

Rogue looked around in her mindscape and saw that several other psyches were on their way to join the two first.

»_Roberto, you really are an arrogant piece of shit, you know that?_« Tabitha said and then grinned playfully at him.

»_Hey!_ _Why d'you say that for?_« Roberto exclaimed clearly affronted.

»_Because I can do it here without suffer the consequences of it_« She retorted, smile growing wider. He huffed grumpily and started pouting.

Rogue walked against the stream of psyches that were now letting lose inside of her head. She pushed her ways forward to get through, completely ignoring the annoyed stares she got.

»_Aww, c'mon Roberto, you know she didn't mean it_« Amara consoled and gently patted his shoulder.

»_No, don't console him! It's just healthy for him to bring him down to the level of us other mere mortals once in a while. Now you're just pumping up his ego again. Deflate him!_« Alex said while waiving fervently with his arms. Amara gave him a snide look but stepped away.

When Rogue reached the source of the stream of psyches she saw her thirty feet tall wall had a giant hole in it. A hole… She usually felt it when someone broke her mind wall, but she hadn't this time and it worried her a little. Maybe she needed to go to the professor and ask for more mind training? The idea of people breaking her walls was really disconcerting. But then again, so was the idea of having the professor prodding her mind. Even though she trusted the old man she never felt comfortable having other people in her head. It was hypocritical she knew, but psyches weren't the same, they shared her memories and pains and somehow became more a part of her, like an extra limb. Besides, they would never blab her secrets to anyone; that was guaranteed. A telepath though could just walk in, steal her innermost secrets and use them to their own device. She was eternally grateful for the strong mind walls which she got when her powers had evolved. Being able to tap any power from the mutants she had once absorbed could be really useful.

»_You know, you had us cramped behind that wall for so long now that we deserve a little break«_ Alison's psyche informed her. Rogue scowled.

_»Yah had yer break now, so it's back in the box«_ Rogue said and surveyed the damage of the wall. _Too much damage_, she decided and took away the old wall completely. She disposed the waste and then swiftly and neatly started to make a new wall she stuffed all the psyches behind without paying mind to the cacophony of complaints that washed over her. Their voices were abruptly cut off when her walls were finished.

_There we go. Nice, proper and _quite_ again._

Suddenly she felt someone nudging her outermost mind-wall defence, a presence that was not welcomed, whoever it was. Rogue took a guess.

»_Rogue, are you okay?«_ Jean asked telepathically. Bingo. Miss perfect wife was sticking her nose in other's business as usual.

»_Get out of my head, Jean_« Rogue growled and shoved out the unwelcomed guest with a firm mind push. When she was certain everything was clear she returned to the real world.

Apparently she had spaced out for some time, because Scott had already wrapped things up and everyone was getting ready to leave. Jean's perfect face displayed a slight frown as she looked at Rogue, but she didn't comment. Rogue decided to ignore her and left the War Room without further ado.

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"Heard vhat happened before", Kurt informed Evan at the breakfast table the morning after. "Is it true zat you picked a fight with some really bad guys and got beaten up?"

"No", Evan huffed while stuffing a sandwich in his mouth.

"Well, that's what Logan said ya did" Rogue confirmed and then smirked. "And he said he had to save yer sorry asses b'fore those guys punched the light out of ya." Evan scowled at her.

"He didn't say that!" He exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, not word by word but essentially yes. What's the matter Evan? Are the Beasts losing their touch? Being beaten by two lone guys while ya're a team of four X-men. Got anything tah say in yer defence?"

"Well yeah! First of all, _we did not pick a fight_. They were using their powers carelessly, in the public! So we asked them to stop and they only said 'Make us' and then Berzerker flipped and it went all downwards after that. And secondly, they were not just two lone guys; they were two freakin' combat trained maniacs. Man, their powers were making things explode everywhere and my team was a mess before we even had the chance to start."

"Vhy didn't Logan stop them then?"

"Too busy saving us", Evan muttered incoherently, but before they could make any further inquiries they were cut off by a chirpy voice.

"Good morning!" Kitty greeted them as she walked into the kitchen. They mumbled their good mornings and continued on their breakfast. Kitty sat down at the table and smiled at Evan.

"Hello, hot-shot! Have you told Kurt about your stunt yesterday?" She asked with a very unKitty like glint in her eyes.

"_We didn't pick a fight!_" He exasperated and threw his arm in the air. Kitty giggled.

"Like never said you did, Evan. I know you would never do that" She said though her face completely contradicted her words. Evan only mumbled in reply and stuffed another sandwich in his mouth.

"Yah know, yer never gonna hear the end of that" Rogue said gleefully as he glared viciously at her.

"I know."

"Oh by the way, Rogue, I have some good news for you!" Kitty suddenly said and smiled brightly. Rogue kept her cool, knowing what Kitty usually thought as good news didn't necessarily have to mean good news to her. She just hoped it wasn't bad.

"Tell me" She asked in a neutral voice.

"I heard that Angel's gonna come and visit next week" She said and watched Rogue's reaction with a knowing smile playing on her lips.

"Really?" Rogue said while trying to feign disinterest, even though her heart rate had suddenly bumped up a notch. "Where did ya hear that?"

"Overheard a conversation with the Professor and Logan. Sure you aren't excited he's gonna come? Aren't you like really close friends or something?" She asked with the same smile. Rogue narrowed her eyes.

"Are you implying something, Kit-kat?"

"Maybe, maybe not." She commented mysteriously. "Well, see you at school!" She took an apple and then sprinted off, phasing through the wall.

Rogue frowned while slowly chewing her bagel. Kitty was being silly, there was nothing going on between her and Warren. Sure they were good friends, but that was all.

3 years ago she had arrived at the institute lone and scared. She didn't know anybody and as her social skills were next to none she had troubles with making friends. Worse was, no one dared to get near her. They were afraid of her powers, her cold attitude and her vacant eyes. But most of all they feared the unknown. They knew nothing of her past, her real name or parents, but they all had a feeling that it wasn't anything good. So it had come to a stalemate, they didn't approach her and she, who were a social illiterate, had no idea how to approach them.

It had been Angel who first broke the ice. He wasn't a part of the X-men but he was aligned with their cause and therefore sometimes visited to change information and news. It had been during one of these visits she had met him for the first time. She had been sitting on top of the roof like she usually does when all of a sudden an angel had landed beside her, casually asking her after the professor. All she could do was gaping like a fish, asking him dumbfounded;

_// "Are you an angel?" He blinked in surprise at first and then a warm smile spread on his handsome angelic face. _

"_No, but I am sometimes called that. You must be new here if you haven't heard of me yet. I'm a mutant just like you. You can call me Warren."_

_She echoed his name while staring at him in awe._

"_Can you take me to the professor?" He asked politely, still smiling. A fervent blush coloured her cheeks beat red before she departed showing him the way. //_

Warren was the first person who had talked to her without caring for either her powers or her past. He was warm to her like a mild summer's day, and she felt for the first time comfortable and at ease. Even though she didn't say much she listened as he talked about his past childhood memories and his plans for the future. Slowly like a shy clam she had opened up to him. When she stumbled in her attempts to strike up a conversation he had encouraged her, and soon they were both exchanging experiences and thoughts, though she never mentions her past. Not long after their first meeting Rogue had gotten an inkling of confidence and soon Kitty and Logan walked into her life as well.

Over the years Angel visited the institute many times, sometimes just to visit her. They became close friends and Rogue always looked forward to his visits. But even if she would have been interested in him in a romantic sort of way, he clearly wasn't. Even though he held her dear, she would always just be a friend to him. So, it was good she wasn't interested in him in that way.

She really wasn't, no matter what Kitty implies. Absolutely not…

»_So lying_«

»_Shut up…_«

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Rogue looked out through the window of the Blackbird. Her eyes followed the moving landscape which spread out beneath her like a carpet of hills and mounds. A solemn expression was painted on her face, hiding her tensed nerves.

Half an hour earlier she got a mental summon from the Professor, telling her to get ready and meet the team at the Blackbird. It had taken her only half a minute to slip into her customary black and grey suit along with her trademark black bomber jacket. When she arrived at the hangar Scott informed them all that there had been a sighting of the two mutants Logan had encountered with a few days before, along with three others. One of them was Magneto.

Several gasps and shouts of disbelief escaped them when they heard this.

Magneto was a powerful mutant with the ability to manipulate magnetic fields and thus also metal. He was just like the Professor in the aspect of he fought for a better future for the mutants. But his goal was a step further than the Professor's. He didn't just want the mutants to be equal to the humans; he wanted them to be their _superiors_, and he did everything in his power to fulfill that goal. The methods he used had a very direct and violent approach and often left a trail of injured humans behind, but he couldn't care less. That's when the X-men stepped in, to stop him from hurting more people.

During recent months he hadn't been so active, but they had heard that he'd been stirring around in other parts of the country. Now he had appeared in New York, and he had brought with him some friends. They had met the two first, lackey number one and two with the ability to control fire and the other with the ability to make things go boom. Their newly gathered information told them that lackey number three was apparently made of metal and number four was a wild kitty cat. Sabretooth, according to Logan. They had apparently met before…

They landed the Blackbird outside of the factory where the sighting had been. It was a large facility, made of several buildings each connected to one and other. The otherwise dull grey concrete walls glowed golden in the sunset. Rogue squinted, shielding her eyes with her hand from the bright light. They entered the building without encountering any security. Inside it was dark and quiet. _A little too quiet_, she thought. Their footsteps echoed through the large halls as they made their way through.

It wasn't until they got closer to the core of the complex they heard noises. They walked softly through the hall up to the door, trying to be as quite as possible. Through the doors they could hear people talking even though the voices were muffled by the walls. Scott was just about to give last minute instructions, but Logan cut him off growling.

"There's time for talk later, Slim., right now it's time for action."

And with a loud savage growl he burst through the doors, with the other X-men close behind. Rogue rolled her eyes and calmly walked through the destroyed doors. Chaos reigned before her eyes as Logan had engaged battle with a large hairy creature Rogue only could presume to be the infamous Sabretooth. Scott and Kitty were fighting a large man whose skin had entirely transformed into metal, and Jean and Kurt clashed with the crazy looking pyromaniac whose flames soon filled the entire premises.

There was no sighting of the super villain Magneto.

During the heat of battle no one noticed a silent shadow slipping out through a door. That is, no one except Rogue. _That must be lackey number two with the explosives_, she reasoned and just as silently followed him through a door. Behind the doors were staircases which lead upwards to the roofs. Above her she saw the silhouette of a man running up the stairs and a coat whirling around him. Lithe and fast as a cat she dashed up the stairs after him.

At the top of the stairs was a door, leading out to the roofs. She carefully opened the door, ready for an ambush at any time. With tensed nerves she waited but nothing happened. She stepped out into the fresh air and looked around. There was no sign of anyone around, the roofs were completely desolate and barren. Frowning she examined the place after any clues of the escapee.

Suddenly she heard a voice from behind her.

"Hello, _chérie_."

Rogue cursed and whirled around and saw a pair of red eyes, glowing in the shadows.

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Cliffhanger!! Nahahaha!

As you might have guessed the next chapter is about Rogue's and Gambit's first encounter, hope you look forward to it.

And wow this chapter became much longer then I had initially planned!

Okay first a little rant about Gambit. Have you've seen him in the Wolverine origins trailer yet? If you haven't; shame on you! Go look it up now!

Anyway, he's played by the actor Taylor Kitsch, and I don't know about you but I think he looks pretty promising. I've been digging around a little to see exactly how similar they've made him to the original Gambit. This is what I've established so far; the movieverse Gambit does were his trademark trench coat, he uses his playing cards as weapon along with his bo staff. His eyes are though normal brown, however I've seen a clip where they turned blood red so they haven't completely erased that trait. He doesn't have a Cajun accent, but then again the Evolution Gambit didn't have much of an accent either so who knows, might work out anyway. Really looking forward to the movie premier, 35 days to go!!! (yes I'm counting)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I get really encouraged to write more!

Drop me a review if you liked it ^^


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

**Dance with Me**

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The silhouette of a tall man leaned against the concrete wall cloaked in shadows, playfully shuffling a deck of cards between his hands. His red smouldering gaze was fixed on her, unnerving her with its intensity. She swallowed hard suddenly very conscious of her awkward stance and racing pulse.

"Show yahself!" She demanded in attempt to mask her insecurity.

The man chuckled.

"Y' sure about dat, _chère_?" He drawled in a low masculine voice which made her skin crawl with unbidden pleasure. It was a Cajun accent, she knew without thinking, he came from Louisiana.

"Ah'm not gonna play any games with ya. Show yahself." She gritted.

Like magic his deck of playing cards suddenly disappeared. Pushing himself off the wall he sauntered out of the shadows, confident like a cat on the prowl, and equally dangerous.

When the golden sunlight hit his features Rogue couldn't help but gasp in awe.

He was at least a head taller than her, richly muscled but not in a stocky way like Scott, no, more lithe and dangerous, with every muscle placed there for a reason. The black combat suit he wore was tight enough to reveal a broad chiseled chest, half hidden by the worn brown trench coat which swiveled in the wind. The fading sunlight played on his hair making it look more copper than brown, and the half long bangs caressed his angular yet masculine face. The red eyes were like embers in pitch black darkness, capturing her with its intensity. His mouth curled up in a devilish grin at her reaction and he practically oozed with cocky self-confidence and sex appeal.

Rogue swallowed hard.

"Dat's too bad, _petite_, Gambit always liked playin' games." He purred, his ruby eyes twinkling in amusement. A cat must have gotten her tongue because she was utterly unable to reply. It only made his grin grow wider.

"See somethin' y' like, _chère_?"

Finally Rogue snapped out of her daze, scowling. The self-assured southerner was seldom thrown out of the loop like she was now, and to have been so by this cocky Cajun didn't make her feel any good at all. A well known anger started bubbling in her stomach.

"Not lahkely, Swamp rat!" She retorted with a passion and clenched her fists until her knuckles whitened. He chuckled at her outburst.

"Swamp rat?" He mused while taking out a package of cigarettes from his trench coat. With practiced ease he took one out and tapped a finger at the end of it. A faint red glow appeared before the cigarette was lit and he took a deep drag. "Already pickin' nicknames, _chère_?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Ah ain't. Just statin' facts." She snapped. "Apparently Magneto must've been very desperate if he thought a Cajun from the stinky swamps would suffice. Or maybe the ol' buckethead have gone a bit loose in the head nowadays. That would certainly explain everything."

She had hoped that her insult would put him in place, or at least shaken up his confidence a bit since he thought she would fall head over heels for him at first glance, which, she hadn't. Though she admitted she had felt a bit… intrigued when she first saw him, but that was all thrown out of the window when his cocky demeanour was revealed.

But he surprised her again when he threw his head back and laughed at her insult. Rogue stared at him utterly flabbergasted. Clearly her rudeness hadn't affected him in any negative way at all, on the contrary, he seemed rather amused by her. _Amused_.

"Feisty." His beautiful eyes danced with mirth as he slid closer to her. "But Gambit has always liked that in a _femme_." He purred in a husky voice. Rogue blinked. Did he just talk in third person?

"Are yah for real?" She asked incredulously.

"Care t' find out, _chère_?" His tone playful, rich with suggestions and innuendos. He was close enough for Rogue to smell the spicy scent of his cologne, leather, smoke and something so enticing she shuddered.

What the hell was wrong with her? She had never been so entranced by a man she just met. Hell, she hadn't been entranced by _any_ man she'd ever met.

The embers of his eyes suddenly began to swirl in a hypnotizing way and to her great surprise she felt her tensed nerves starting to relax under his gaze. His eyes were locked with hers, and soon her world shrank and was solely made by those black and red wonders. She sighed softly as all the anxiety disappeared. Thoughts of Magneto and enemies all but disappeared, replaced by those alluring eyes. A small smile was tugging her lips.

His mouth curled up in a smug grin and suddenly he materialized right in front of her, with such a swift fleeting movement she had barely seen him move. He was in her personal space, far too close, but for some reason her mind had clouded and she ignored the usual warning signals in her head ringing like fire alarms at his closeness.

Without thinking of the consequences she pressed up against his body, meeting his gaze with a detached smile. Oddly enough she enjoyed the feel of him against her, even though all the layers of cloth dampened the feel a bit. One arm snaked around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer, while his other hand reached towards her face.

She blinked, her smile slowly evaporating.

His bare hand. Towards her uncovered skin.

Reality crashed down on her, shattering the moment into a million pieces. She recoiled from his hold, jerking back faster than a snake.

_Too close._

_Back off!_

_Stay away!!_

She practically hissed at him.

"_Don't touch meh_!"

He frowned, apparently confused by her sudden mood swing. She had crouched a little as if she was ready for an attack at any moment. Her body tingled with pumping adrenaline and her eyes almost glowed with a passionate anger.

"Ah don't know why yah're here but whatever it is, Ah'm here tah stop yah." She said in a low dangerous tone while glaring at him. He scoffed.

"So y' 'part o' the X-men den, I presume." He wasn't smiling anymore, and his eyes weren't focused on her. With a flick of his finger he discarded his burn out cigarette and searched his pockets after another one. Rogue also noticed that he didn't speak in third person anymore, but rather adopted the normal first person basis.

"Yes." She answered curtly.

"Met some of y' other members few days ago. Wasn't exactly impressed, t'ought the X-men would prove much more o' a challenge than dat."

"That's 'cause yah met our juniors, dumbass!" She gritted, her anger flaring again.

"And y' de real deal?" He asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow. Rogue raged inside at his underlying insults, but she didn't want to show him that so she unclenched her jaw and tried to relax her features.

"Ah'm the elite, pretty boy." She stated proudly with a hint of arrogance.

"Really?" He drawled, with his devilish grin playing on his lips again. He slightly tilted his head as his eyes racked over her body in such a sinful way it felt like he was undressing her with his eyes. With effort she managed to remain unaffected on the outside, but inside she was all in knots of anger and disgust. _How dare he_, she seethed.

"Yah don't believe me?" She asked while trying to hold the anger off her voice. "Then let me show yah." _So Ah can wipe that annoyin' smirk of yah face._

With a sigh he murmured incoherently, "_J'avais espéré que nous pourrions sauter cette partie_." and then added aloud with a smirk, "Don't worry, _chère_, Gambit won't hurt y'."

"Worry 'bout yahself, Cajun." She spat and then leaped at him.

She surprised him with her speed and power behind her first attack and it cost him a square hit right in the jaw. But to his credit he managed to gain his composure fast enough to dodge her low kick, sweeping towards his legs.

What followed was an array of swift punches and agile kicks from Rogue's part while he eloquently managed to block and parry all her offensives. But he never took a strike at her, he was content with watching her work up a sweat while he kept evading her.

Rogue was seething. She knew he had done something to her before he had tried to touch her, she just knew because she never let her guard down to _anyone_. He had hypnotized her somehow, stripped down her defences with a single look of those smouldering eyes. Only the thought of have been exposed, naked, to someone like that made her shiver in rage. Adding that he was now underestimating her fighting skills was only fuel to her fire. Apparently he thought he could get out of this battle by just evading her, and she had every intention to prove him wrong. If he wanted to win it was going to be by defeating her, and she wasn't about to lose without a fight.

The anger she felt spread through her veins like a fire, spurring her attacks to become quicker and stronger. His defence however remained intact and she feverously looked for an opening. She tried to come at him from every possible angle, trying to find his weak point.

_Every defence has a crack in it, all you need to do is find it and pry it open._

The words rang in her head and she doubled her efforts. _There must be something_, she thought with a hint of dawning desperation. _Something_.

She crouched and then leapt into the air, flipping right above him, landing on the other side soundlessly. Without missing a beat she attacked him from behind, putting all her power into that one punch. He moved so fast she only saw a flash of his arm before her punch was parried, missing its target. _Damn it_, she thought, clenching her jaw in frustration. Gaining her composure she resumed her raiment of attacks. Punch; block, kick; parry, evade.

Suddenly she was struck by an idea, a brilliant idea but just as dangerous if it didn't work. But she was determined to win no matter what, so she was willing to take the gamble.

Slowly she edged closer to him, trying not to look too suspicious, while making her attacks at a shorter distance. If he was too far away it wasn't going to work. When he suddenly was only a few inches away she crouched down as if she was going to take a sweep at his legs once again. He quickly caught was she was about to do and leapt into the air to dodge her. _Yes!_, she triumphed. At the last second she changed her attack, bracing herself from the ground with her hands, and lunged at him, feet first. Being in the air he had no chance to evade, and the kick connected hard to his chest sending him flying. With a bang he landed hard on the ground a few feet away, causing a large cloud of dust to rise towards the sky.

A jubilant feeling surged through her, making her grin at her success. _That's for underestimating me!_

The man slowly got up to his feet, his expression coloured with dawning respect as he looked at her, a hand absently rubbing the place where she had hit him.

_About tahme_.

"Rule number one; never underestimate yah opponent." She told him with a serious expression. "Rule number two, never underestimate _me_. Ah don't appreciate being taken lightly, been through too much shit to be. Yah might not take this seriously, but Ah do, and Ah'll fight with everything Ah've got to win."

His face was unreadable as he met her sharp stare. It looked like he was seeing her for the first time, she could feel the difference. She didn't move during his examination, keeping her stiff pose, straight back and slightly raised chin. Suddenly the corner of his mouth curled up into a half smile.

"I did underestimate y', which clearly was a mistake. Y' are a good fighter I grant y' dat, not many have succeeded to slip through my guard. I'm impressed." He admitted with a slight bow. "_Je promets_, I won't do the same mistake again."

He fished something out of his pockets, something metallic and cylindrical. With a twirl the cylinder grew into a full length bo staff, and he twisted it masterfully around him. Stopping in a battle position, he grinned at her.

»_Psylocke_« She called in her mind. The psyche moved forward and with a slight tap, the ninja's power became hers. Her hand started to glow a furious red as the powers activated, and with a flash of light the glow grew into a telekinetic katana.

"Let's dance then, shall we?" Rogue returned his grin with a smirk of her own.

They clashed in a swirl of dust, matching each other's speed. Her katana sliced through the air in livid flash of light, and his bo staff met her strikes, returning them with a few of his own equally aggressive. They danced fervently, testing each other, trying to find the other's limits and weaknesses. It was beautiful and Rogue loved every moment of it. He was finally taking her serious, and he held nothing back. Every strike she parried jarred through her whole body at the sheer strength of it.

He was a master with his weapon and Rogue had a hard time keeping up. His staff stopped every one of her strikes while just as swiftly attacking her with the other end. But she withstood and poured every ounce of her speed and skill into the battle. She tried another trick at him but he saw through it and evaded the trap with swift turn, making his trench coat swirl around him. _He's learnt his lesson then,_ she mused.

He suddenly stopped with a safe distance from her. Like magic, three playing cards appeared in his hand coming from seemingly nowhere.

_What's he up to now?_ She wondered and frowned.

The cards started to glow red.

_Oh that can't be good._

With an elegant twist of his wrist he threw them at her, the cards cutting through the air at an alarming speed. Reflexively she dodged but as the cards connected with the ground a large explosion erupted, making her flying through the air. The harsh landing made her lose focus and her katana vanished. Her ears were ringing from the loud bang, but she had managed to escape with only a few scrapes and scratches.

She groaned and coughed as her lungs were filled with the dusty air. A low chuckle reached her ears and she looked over at the man. Amusement was playing on his face and he was shuffling another deck of cards.

"Had enough, _chérie_?" He asked with a smug look.

"Not by a long shot." She retorted and crawled up onto her feet. Her limbs were aching and she was starting to feel weary.

"What are y' gonna do wit'out y' sword?" He asked incredulously.

She didn't respond as she was too busy racking her mind after an appropriate psyche to tap.

»_Carol_« She finally decided. With closed eyes she felt the small tingles course through her entire body as she was granted the powers of flight, invulnerability and enhanced strength. Her mouth curled up in a smile. Oh, she was gonna have some fun.

She launched into the air, swirling and flipping in joy. How she loved the ability to fly. _One of the best powers in the world_, she thought cheerfully. The cool evening air rushed past her as she played around in the air, flipping and vaulting while laughing heartedly. Beneath her the Cajun looked at her in shock surprise and something which could be described as a tinge of awe. She lowered herself to the roof, not landing but rather hovering just above him. A smile was playing on her lips.

"Well", he finally said. "Aren't y' full o' surprises."

She chuckled, rather satisfied that she had managed to put that bewildered expression on his face.

"Yah haven't seen it all, swamp rat. Ready for round three?"

"Always ready, _chère_." He answered and swirled his bo staff masterfully. Rogue snorted and launched herself at him. Her assault was quickly dodged but she swirled around ready for another one.

Carol's powers were one for strength and not speed, so granted she had become a bit slower. But that was well compensated when she was able to punch through walls without adding a scratch to herself. Her only problem was hitting the slimy Cajun though, as he danced around her attacks without effort. Her punches came off and instead she hit the ground with an explosion of dust and pieces of concrete.

With a shrug she continued her onslaught completely unaffected and unscathed.

Another three red glowing cards were thrown at her. She didn't even bother to dodge, and the cards exploded with a loud bang as they hit her in the chest. But the only evidence that they had hit was a slight darkening on her combat suit, other than that she hadn't even blinked.

She grinned wickedly.

"Yah hafta do better than that, Cajun."

Lunging after him she dealt out quick punches and kicks still hovering in the air. He evaded but now it was entirely different reasons than before. He had seen the force behind her attacks and being hit by one of those would most certainly break all the bones in his body.

After several minutes of his constant evading, Rogue was started to get rather annoyed. She had managed to connect a few of her punches but the angle had been awkward and she had been unable to use her full force. The psyches in her head were tiring quickly, and so was she. Her breath came out as harsh pants and her aim was losing its accuracy. Gritting her teethes she kept going.

But it was quite clear that she wouldn't be able to hit him and he was only going to dodge her until she would crumble into exhaustion. And she was very close now, so she made a final decision.

Her last try.

Disengaging from the fight, she tore through the sky flying high above her enemy. His eyes were on her, watching her wearily.

»_He's going to dodge your attack. Aim slightly above him and you might make a hit._«

Rogue made a mental nod. This was it. The final attack was going to determine who the winner was and who the loser was. Taking three deep breaths, she launched herself at him, faster than she had ever flown.

Despite the speed of her attack to her the world had suddenly come into slow motion. Every detail was so clear before her eyes, the textures and the sounds and smells. She could see realisation dawn on her targets face as she rapidly came closer. The slight clench of his jaw. The determination that suddenly burned in his eyes. The red glow that started to envelop his metallic bo staff.

Then she knew.

He wasn't going to dodge her.

And she couldn't stop.

The impact was instantaneous, wracking through her whole body, making the bones in her body tremble. His staff had hit her squarely in the abdomen with an explosion, making her ricochet into the wall, breaking through the concrete.

The last of her psyches power seeped out of her, and she was left on her own. Panting, weak and defeated she laid in the crumbles of what once had been a wall. She had lost. Fair and square. Even with all her strength, determination and skill she hadn't managed to best that low level Cajun. It was beyond her how that had happened. She had always been the best, Logan's favourite, the number one. And yet, now she laid there completely spent. Bitter disappointment welled in her stomach and she closed her eyes, trying to hold off the feeling.

Damn it.

She tried to rise from the ruins when suddenly a male body pinned her down to the ground, holding her wrists securely above her head. Confused, she looked up at her assailant and scowled bitterly when she recognised the Cajun.

"Get off me." She growled. He countered her anger with a mischievous smirk.

"Don't think so, _ma chère_."

Hell. Apparently he wasn't going to let her go off with the loss without rubbing it in her face. Silently cursing she tried to get out of his hold, squirming and wrenching, anything to make his grip of her come looser. But all she managed was to rub her body hard against his firm muscled frame. It wasn't helping.

"Easy dere, _chère_. Might be givin' me the wrong idea." He said with a sinful grin, his eyes flaring at the sight of her.

She abruptly stopped, her cheeks suddenly coloured by a fervent blush. Another array of curses went through her mind but she didn't say anything out loud. She was determined though not to be a sore loser. She was going to suck up the loss and walk out of there with her head held high, completely ignoring him. She was going to-

"So tell me, _chère_. Do I get a price for winning?" He asked. His eyes were filled with innuendos and his tone rich with mirth.

-absolutely not going to let him walk away with that grin on his face.

She stiffened while trying to hold the overwhelming anger at bay.

He had left her an opening, a small window out of this humiliation. Or at least the humiliation of watching him strut away in his arrogance, smiling triumphantly over his victory. It was something she would do anything to miss, and here was her chance. It was an outrageous idea, specially coming from her, but oh how she hated to lose. She had told him before that she was going to do anything to win, and she had planned to do just that.

With effort she forced out what she hoped resembled a flirtatious smile, meeting his ember eyes. He frowned in confusion at her sudden change of mood. Her body had completely relaxed under him, instead of thrashing as she had a second ago and her eyes glinted mischievously.

"Why of course, sugah." She answered sweetly. "Whatevah yah want." She added in a husky voice, deliberately thickening her southern accent. Mentally holding her breath she waited for his response. Flirting was not her on her list of strengths but she hoped she had managed to do something to peak his interest.

Suddenly a triumphant grin tugged the corners of his mouth. A wave of relief crashed over her as the evidence of her small display of seduction had worked was playing on his lips. The reds of his eyes were almost pulsating as he lowered his head to meat hers.

But he surprised her again. She had expected maybe a peck or a smooch for kiss. But this was far from it.

His lips crushed against hers, making her gasp in surprise. Taking the opportunity he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue between her lips while pulling her closer with one hand. It was passionate, and hot, and she almost regretted the moment she started to feel the usual pull of her powers.

Memories flooded her mind, flashes of his past played behind her eyelids.

When his lifeless body slouched against her, she was panting, her cheeks flushed and eyes defocused. Never in her life had someone done anything like it towards her. She was shocked and exhilarated.

Suddenly she heard a buzz through her communicator. Familiar voices filled her ear as Scott and the others called out for her in worried voices. With a sigh she replied she was okay and was on her way. In her mind she carefully pushed all the memories she had stolen from the man, behind one of her many doors and locked it securely.

Gently she pushed his body off of her and stood up, trying to stand as steadily as she could. Her legs were weak but she managed to walk, or maybe half crawl her way back to her team.

With one last look at the unconscious Cajun she exited the roof, thinking about the deadly kiss they had exchanged.

Well, she had warned him.

*

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**French crash course:**

_Ma chère_ – My dear

_Petite_ – Little one

_Femme_ – Woman

_Chérie _– Darling

_J'avais espéré que nous pourrions sauter cette partie_ – I had hoped we could skip this part

_Je promets_ – I promise

**A/N : **Well, wasn't that a ride? Rogue's quite passionate in this story ain't she? ^^ And Gambit was of course pushing all her buttons. Kinda fun of seeing him affect her so much.

As always I'm completely immune to my own text, have no idea if it was good or bad. Hopefully you enjoyed it.

Reviews are highly appreciated ^^


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

**Anywhere but Down**

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Spin. Swivel. Twist.

Rogue guided the pen around her fingers, circling and spinning without stopping.

Twirl. Flop. Spin.

Her eyebrows knitted into a frown as she watched her boys, the Jades, fight in the Danger Room. It didn't look good.

Ever since the Rubies had… exploited one of her boys' weaknesses she had worked up a master plan to counter it. It involved a lot of DR sessions with a lot of female opponents dressed in skimpy clothing. It was only a matter of time before the boys was completely immune to the other sex, and be able to clear missions without even glancing at a woman. Or so she thought.

Looking at them she couldn't help but groan. Her master plan was failing miserably. The boys were getting their asses kicked and still they couldn't tear their eyes off of the enemy's rather large and bouncing assets. It hadn't taken her long to see that her goal "_complete immunity to the other sex_" was impossible to reach. She had to lower her ambitions to a more possible, and hopefully probable, goal; "_complete, or at least somewhat, immunity, well, resistance at the very least, to the Rubies' distraction techniques"_. And with time, maybe they would reach that goal. With lots of practice and exposure to the other sex. Yeah…

»_Boys will be boys…_« A psyche in her head said and chuckled. Rogue groaned again.

In the matter of a few days her life had pretty much sunk to a new bottom record. The successfulness and brilliance that had once been the trait, the characteristic, of her team had decided to take a vacation, along with the dignity and self-respect they once had but was now clearly gone, she thought, as she looked at the scene in front of her. Roberto was dangling, caught helplessly in a rope while Sam mindlessly walked into a trap as he ogled the enemy and poor Havok who didn't even know where to lay his eyes tried feebly to hide behind a wooden barrel. It was very painful to watch.

Rogue cringed as Sam took a punch in the face, falling over his own feet and ungracefully landed on his ass. She hid her face behind her hands trying to purge the sight from her eyes. Humiliating, that's what it was.

So had the experience the day before been as well. Her, lying in the dirt, in front of that insufferable smirking Cajun. That probably made it to her top-five list. It didn't matter that it had been she who had managed to walk out of the fight while he lying unconscious on the ground. It was still a humiliating memory, and she tried her best to forget it.

Though one thing from that occurrence she was glad she had experienced was his powers. It had been like entering another world. She had been so _aware_ of everything. With closed eyes she had reached out and been able to "sense" the world around her. It was like an overdeveloped bio sonar, making her able to feel the world around her. Not just the positions and movements of objects around her, but also a sense of its weight and temperature. She had taken several minutes just to explore with this power. It wasn't until after she had opened her eyes, passing several rooms in search for the rest of the X-men she had discovered that his red on black eyes had also granted her night vision. With his eyes, darkness was just another shade of colour. Chuckling, she had decided to sneak up on her teammates from behind and surprise them. What she hadn't counted on was getting equally surprised as them. Apparently Gambit's (hadn't he called himself that?) powers also included something he called "empathy", so when she surprised them the empathy had caught their sudden panic making her as surprised as them (another fine example of how the great powers of karma works). After the initial chock she had started to explore the limits of this power. With a little help from Gambit's memories, she discovered that empathy was the power to read other's emotions and to be able, to a small extent, manipulate them. It was impossible to create feelings but she could amplify already existing feelings or dull them if she wanted to. As soon as she figured that out she immediately set out to try them. Just to see how they worked, of course…

Victim number one; Scott. He had seen the state she had been in after her fight with the Cajun so she decided to play on his sympathy to escape morning DR sessions. First attempt with the empathy; successful.

Victim number two; Ororo. Slightly more challenging as she had to manipulate several emotions to make her cooperate. But after a lot of coaxing and goading, Rogue was now allowed to skip the next Friday's school lesions and go out and do whatever she wanted instead. Second attempt successful.

Victim number three; Logan. She had made an attempt to make him tell her where he kept his secret bourbon staff. Less successful. In fact Rogue suspected he had noticed something was a bit fishy, as he had went completely overboard and threatened to punish her by making her clean the underbelly of the Blackbird…With a toothbrush… And that was just for asking him a simple question. Memo to self; never do that again.

So maybe the meeting with Gambit hadn't been all bad and right now she needed to look at things on a more positive side of life. Besides, it felt awfully good to use his powers, in a smug kind of way. Hope he'd choke on it.

Grinning, she continued to watch the fight below the control room.

A few minutes later Bobby and Ray walked into the room.

"'ello Rogue!" Bobby greeted her and smiled. Ray only offered an unintelligible hello as his eyes immediately wandered to watch the fight between her boys and the skimpy dressed ladies.

"Hello boys." Rogue greeted. "What brings yah to this sad little corner of the mansion?"

Bobby grinned and sat down on one of the chairs, handing her the cup of coffee he had been holding.

"Coffee." He answered.

Rogue accepted the cup with a grateful smile and took a sip of the steaming hot drink, and sighed contently as the coffee made its wonders.

"Did yah come here just to bring meh coffee?" She asked, looking rather amused.

"Well…" Bobby trailed off and looked at the large TV-screens, which were currently showing another opponent in the midst of a punch while giving the camera an eyeful of her cleavage. "Erm… There was this rumour, you know. Something about that you had changed the training programme for your team and that they were fighting…erm…" His voice trailed off again as he suddenly became very absorbed with the fight going on underneath the control room. Ray had started drooling.

Rogue cocked an eyebrow at Bobby, waiting for the answer.

"Well?" She inquired.

He tore his eyes off the scene and met her stern gaze. A fervent blush crept up his cheeks and he started to stutter.

"Well ah, I, it was just something about, well it was nothing really just ah- Kitty was looking for you." He finished with a sheepish smile.

Rogue chuckled good-humouredly and handed him her half empty coffee cup.

"All right then." She said and Bobby sighed in relief as he was let off the hook. "Why don't yah guys take over the training while Ah take a break, okay?"

The boys nodded enthusiastically, and Rogue exited the control room with a defeated sigh.

*

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Most men can't handle high stakes gambling. They become nervous and jittery when the fear of losing overwhelms them. They let their poker face slip, and in the matter of seconds they lose.

Gambit wasn't one of those men.

"Raise three thousand."

He threw the money on the pile of poker chips and rolls of dollar bills, centring on the round table. Though his face was half hidden in shadows, his usual confident smirk was still visible.

The man next to him cursed, folded his cards and took a huge gulp of his drink.

The man opposite of him looked at his cards. Then at Gambit, and back at his cards again. With a sneer he threw some chips in the pile, calling the bet.

The river card turned. Queen of hearts. (1)

Gambit threw another three thousand on the pile and leaned back on the chair, offered the man his best devil-may-care grin. The pile of money had been getting awfully big, grown to thrice the size of an ordinary worker's monthly salary. Gambit liked high stakes and he had already knocked out two players who couldn't seem to handle the pressure. There was only three players left, including Gambit and one had folded. The last participant, a stereotypical player with the cowboy hat and shades, had entered the game pretty late after he had seen Gambit winning almost all the pots. He was dead sure he could win the game, and he was brave enough to keep up with Gambit. Their game had even attracted a small crowd who watched the game with keen interest.

The man chewed slowly on a green olive and narrowed his eyes as he studied Gambit carefully. He was quiet several minutes before he spoke up.

"So far you have played every hand you have been dealt." He observed. "Unless you're the luckiest man on the planet, you've been bluffing a few times already."

Another pause.

"And I think I'll call that bluff now." He finished and pushed all his remaining chips to the centre of the table, matching Gambit's raise. A murmur of excitement came from the crowd.

"Very brave, _mon ami_. But I bet y' also got a nice hand t' call dat bluff wit'."

The man grinned, his eyes twinkling. He turned over his cards revealing a flush in diamonds. Several from the crowd gasped in astonishment. Gambit made an appreciative sound.

"Not a bad hand." He complimented serenely.

His opponent laughed triumphantly and stretched out a hand to claim his earnings.

"But not good 'nough." He finished and threw his cards out on the table. Two queens. The man's hand froze midair as he saw the cards. His gaze moved to the five opened cards laying in a perfect row in front of the dealer. Another two queens. Gambit had gotten quad queens on the river card, and thus outranked the man's flush.

His diabolic eyes glowed softly in the darkness as cheers of congratulations and appreciations came from the audience, his devilish smile ever present. Without much effort he had knocked out another player for the evening. His ex competition looked crushed like a, well… Like a man who had just lost three salaries. And maybe that wasn't so far off from the truth.

As Gambit collected his winning his phone rang. He fished it up from his many pockets and answered.

"Gambit." He said in a cool professional voice. There was a slight pause, and his eyes flickered.

"Right. _D'accord_. I'll be dere in a minute."

He hung up the phone.

"_Désolé_, _messieurs_, gotto go. Enjoy the rest of the evenin'."

With one swift movement he put on his trench coat and left the table, while giving the group of female spectators a charming wink.

"_Mademoiselles_."

They blushed by the attention and Gambit could hear their giggles as he left the room. He stepped out of the club and took out a cigarette from his pockets, lighting it with a tap of his finger. Taking a deep drag he shuddered and cursed the cold weather as he walked down the roads of New York.

People on the streets huddled together, afraid of the many dangers the night brought. The night was their enemy but to Gambit it was his friend. It was a consolation and a safe haven, and when the night opened its arms to him he embraced it. Mingling with darkness he became a silent shadow, prowling the streets. Slipping through the mazes of alleyways and paths, he made his way towards the centre of the city. No one could hear him and no one could see him, simply because he wouldn't let anyone.

He climbed up an old fire escape ladder up to the roofs. Above the shelters of houses the wind blew hard and its icy breezes made his trench coat whirl around him. Lithe as a cat he jumped across the narrow gaps between the houses, landing soundlessly every time. It didn't take long before he reached his goal; a balcony belonging to one of the top floors in a large building. He jumped down on it and entered through the open doors.

The interior of the apartment was large and luxuriously furbished. In the middle of the room sat a blonde man, packing large brown boxes full with books and bundles of paper while singing with a mad smile, his voice crackling and pitching as he reached the high notes. Gambit groaned in annoyance, alarming the man of his presence.

"Mate, for fuck's sake, don't do that!" He hollered in his thick Australian accent and clutched his chest from the sudden shock.

"_Desolé_. _Habitude_." He excused himself though he didn't sound very sorry. "Y' called, John?"

"Oh, yeah. The boss left final instructions on the table." John said and jabbed his thumb at the nearby table. It was only one page and Gambit read through it quickly.

"So we're leavin'?" He mused.

"Yup, just packing up the final boxes and then we move to Bayville. This is the final mission, and then we are free to go."

Gambit nodded absently and carefully charged the paper making it sizzle and finally burn up. Thieving habit; never leave a paper trace.

"So anyway, I only have a few boxes left before we're done." John continued while packing. "Piotr left before we were finished, that bastard. Quite a lone wolf if you ask me. Have you ever tried to have a decent conversation with the man? If his answers exceed more than two words, count yourself lucky, mate. I don't really think he's here freely, if you ask me. Magneto must have a catch on him or something."

While John kept babbling away something caught Gambit's eye.

"John, is dat the files we have over the X-men?" John looked up from was he was doing to inspect the pile of paper files lying on the floor.

"Oh these? Yeah, I believe we've got everyone from the X-men's file here. Why, you look for anyone in particular?"

"_Oui_, the _fille_ I fought wit' b'fore."

"A sheila? Well, what was her mutant powers?"

"Well dere was a lot of 'em. Flight, super strength, some weird red glowing sword."

"Um, well the only sheilas that can fly are Storm and Jean. Any of these?" He asked and handed Gambit the files. He flicked through them, but none of them matched the girl from his memories.

"_Non_, she had a auburn hair wit' a white stripe."

"You mean Rogue then? This is her file." Gambit looked at the file and instantly recognised the beautiful face and green defiant eyes displayed on the picture. He opened it and read through.

Codename; Rogue

Real name; Unknown

Aliases; Alice Smith

Age; 19 (Presumed)

Date of Birth; Unknown

Place of Birth; Mississippi (Presumed)

Parents; Unknown

Other relatives; Unknown

Citizenship; USA

Occupation; Student and X-man

Previous History; Unknown

Mutant Powers; Ability to absorb memories, life energy and mutant powers (latter, only for a short while) through skin to skin contact. The victim is rendered unconscious, comatose or dead if contact is prolonged. Powers currently uncontrollable.

Power development; Recently been able to access previously absorbed powers at any time. Still unable to control absorption powers.

Gambit frowned and turned the page. There was nothing more except a few notes on her physical appearance and distinguishing features.

"Are dese up t' date?" He asked John while turning the pages back and forth looking for a printout date.

"Sure, mate. These were made two weeks ago, before we came here." John confirmed and bounced up beside Gambit to look down at the file. "Oh yeah, Rogue. We don't have so much on her. A living mystery I tell you. Showed up at the doors of the X-men mansion three years ago without telling anyone where she came from or who she was. I've tried to track down her previous history but I didn't find anything. Was like she had never even existed before that."

"Really?" Gambit contemplated. His face wore a bemused expression as he studied her photo again. John picked up a heavy box and carried it out of the room to the hallway.

"Are you gonna help me these, or what!?" He asked through the walls.

"_Non_, t'ink I'll go t' bed early. _Bonne nuit_."

"Say what!?"

Gambit walked into his room and closed the door behind him. Sighing he threw the file on his bed and started taking off his shoes and trench coat. Once free he went into the bathroom and switched on the shower. He quickly undressed and jumped into the running water, turning up the heat to chase away the cold gnawing his bones.

_T'ink I've been away from the sout' f' too long._

He stayed in the shower for over half an hour, simply enjoying the welcoming heat that rained down upon him. When he got out of the shower the mirror was dimmed with steam, which he wiped out with a hand to get a clear view of his reflexion. He made a quick examination of all his half healed wounds and bruises, making sure everything looked all right. When he felt satisfied he wrapped a towel around his hips and went back to his room.

The room was cast in shadows, but Gambit didn't bother to switch on the lights, he could see just as good in darkness as well as light with his red on black eyes. The file he had dumped on the bed still laid there. Pausing, he looked at it.

"_Merde_." He cursed silently.

He picked it up to watch the photo again. It was a portrait photo and her intense green eyes looked into the camera with a slightly bored and impatient look. Her hair was twisted back into a neat bun only letting her white stripe fall freely in front of her face. She looked very much like when they had met. But then her hair had been a bit messier and her eyes had been lit by passionate rage and the golden light from a dying sun.

He flicked through the pages, reading the little there was, over and over.

_Codename; Rogue_

_Rogue_.

He whispered the name, tasting it. It rolled off his tongue like the sweetest honey, just like her thick southern accent had. Delightful shivers went down his spine as he remembered her angry words, which had become even more pronounced and drawled by her flaring temper. He remembered those sultry, full lips pressed against his as he had kissed her. As she had conned him to kiss her, he corrected himself. He grinned at the memory. She had certainly used some dirty tricks in order to escape, but not that he was complaining. He had also used some dirty tricks; like trying to hypnotize her. Though somehow she had managed to break his hypnosis, but he had no idea how. He had been so sure he had her, and then suddenly she had pulled away. Certainly a mystery…

_Real name; Unknown_

_Date of Birth; Unknown_

_Parents; Unknown_

_Previous History; Unknown_

_Unknown._

_Unknown…_

She was a mystery. Rogue.

What secrets did she hide? Why didn't anyone know about her past? Why didn't she talk about her past?

So many questions ran through his mind.

_Ability to absorb through skin to skin contact._

_The victim is rendered unconscious, comatose or dead if contact is prolonged._

_Dead…_

With one little kiss he had walked the borderline between death and life. Where most people find it frightening, Gambit found it exhilarating. He could feel the kicks of adrenaline just by the very thought of it. But suddenly something struck him.

_Powers currently uncontrollable._

She couldn't control her powers. That meant she couldn't touch anybody, at least not without knocking them out. Now that he thought about it, she had been covered tip to toe when they had met. She was probably covered all the time, always having a barrier between her and people around her. All her life as a mutant, without touching anybody. The thought of that was completely incomprehensible to him. He could never imagine a life without touching. Touch was so essential to him, it was something he did every day without even thinking about.

_Also meant no sex…_

_Merde, her life must be hell_. He frowned. Though it would be possible to have sex with her, if they had a lot of sheets. And condoms would be necessary too.

His mind reeled away with dirty thoughts and fantasies of how to sleep with a girl who couldn't touch. There were a lot of possibilities of how to do it, and Gambit could be quite creative when he felt like it.

His track of thoughts was suddenly disrupted by a loud howl from the room beside him. He recognized John's accented voice as he cursed and spit over boxes and bucketheads_. Probably dropped a box on his toe or somet'ing, _Gambit thought and turned the page back to Rogue's picture.

Rogue. A complete mystery.

But he had always liked to unravel mysteries.

*

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"So, like, I thought we could go shopping tomorrow after school."

Kitty sat in Rogue's room, digging up a Ben & Jerry as she watched Rogue play TV games on her Wii. Rogue was completely absorbed by the game, not listening a word to what Kitty was saying.

"Huh?" She asked unintelligibly, her eyes on the TV screen. Kitty frowned in annoyance.

"I said, I thought we could-" She ducked as Rogue swung her Wii control in a violent circle in order to kill off some enemies. "-go shopping tomorrow after school." She finished and took another spoon of her chocolate filled ice cream.

"Why would we need to go shopping?" Rogue asked with a frown, without taking her eyes off the screen. Kitty sighed, and waved her spoon in the air to emphasize her words.

"Because! Angel is coming in a few days, and seriously Rogue, with all due respect, you really, really need to get some new clothes. You always dress in such dark colours. What you need is shiny and happy, something a little more pastel."

"Ah don't do shiny and happy, Kitty. Besides, why do Ah need new clothes just because Angel is comin'?" She asked incredulously, while being fed by Kitty with a spoonful of ice cream.

"Oh, come on Rogue! Don't tell me you're not interested. I've seen the way you look at him, how you lit up every time his name is mentioned. I swear, the only people not noticing this is you and him."

"Because there's nothin' to notice!" She exclaimed with a pout. "Seriously Kitty, yah're making things up." Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say Rogue. Just don't come crying to me when you can't find anything nice to wear."

A collective silence fell in the room, occasionally disturbed by the noise coming from the TV. Kitty watched Rogue intently, while Rogue tried to ignore her. After several minutes of staring, Rogue gave up.

"What!?" She cried out, finally looking at Kitty. Kitty didn't say anything, but took a tucked a large spoon of ice cream in her mouth, never taking her eyes off of Rogue. There was a pause, but nothing happened. Rogue returned to her game, brooding. This kept on for several minutes until Rogue couldn't take it anymore.

"Fahne, okay, let's go shoppin' tomorrow!"

Kitty whooped in victory.

"But this is not because of Angel, all right? Ah only do it because Ah actually need some more clothes. Ah've ment to go out shoppin' for a while now, just haven't had the tahme."

"Suuure." Kitty drawled and grinned menacingly. Rogue rolled her eyes demonstratively, making Kitty chuckle. She whacked the Wii control at the valley girl, but she simply phased through it.

"We're gonna have so much fun tomorrow!"

Rogue groaned in despair.

It was going to be a long tomorrow.

*

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*

Okay a quick lesson in Texas Hold'em. Each player is given two cards which are called "hole cards", these stay closed and only the person which they are dealt to are allowed to see them. After this there's the pre-flop, the first player starting from the left of the dealer has to check the small blind and the next player have to check the big blind, which are forced bets but unlike an "ante" people are allowed to fold without paying them. After that, the 5 "community cards" are dealt, which are five open cards for everyone to use. The dealer start with the first three which are called "the flop", then there's a betting round. After that he deals out the fourth card which is called the "turn". Another betting round, and then the last fifth card is dealt; the "river". After that there's a final betting round. Now each player has access to 7 cards, two on their hands and five on the table. By using the best five cards available you can complete a whole five card hand, like usual five card stud poker. But if the five cards on the table construct your best hand then it is said that you are "playing the board", but the best you can hope for then is to split the pot since everyone has access to those cards. Ranks are (from the bottom); high card, pair, trip, straight, flush, full house, quad, straight flush and royal straight flush (in any suit). So, anyway, the river card is the fifth and final of the community cards, queen of hearts in this case. Well okay, I hope you at least got a general idea of how Texas Hold'em is played.

**Today's French lesson:**

_Mon ami_ – My friend

_D'accord_ – Okay

_Desolé_ – Sorry

_Messieurs_ – Gentlemen

_Mademoiselles_ – Ladies

_Habitude_ – Habit

_Oui_ – Yes

_Fille_ – Girl

_Non_ – No

_Bonne_ _Nuit_ – Good night

_Merde_ – Damn

**A/N**; Nahahaha guess what?! I've already booked the tickets to the upcoming X-men film, over a week before! Eeeek, I'm so excited! Can't wait until next Friday!

Though seriously, I must say this. I never, _ever_ fangirl anything, except Gambit. I don't fangirl, I appreciate. Except Gambit. So you could say he is my first. To fangirl that is.

Dear god, the damn Cajun has destroyed me.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

**Meetings and Coffee Part 1**

---

It was a bright spring day and the school corridors were filled with of running students, all eager to escape the premises for more entertaining activities than listening to ancient teachers babble about the Second World War. Rogue was having a serious discussing with herself about how high the odds were that she could survive the few remaining weeks of school. As paper airplanes flew mere inches from her face and her ears were running deaf from all the noise, she decided her chances didn't look good. Wallowing her way through the crowd she finally made it to her locker. With a tired sigh she threw her books in it and slammed the locker close with a bang.

_Only a few school days left before Ah'm out of here, only a few! Aww, hell, Ah'm gonna be dead long before that happens._

Kitty suddenly emerged from the torrent of students, all packed up and ready.

"Are you ready to go?!" She asked with a raised voice in order to be heard over the noise. Rogue gave her a mute nod and then took hold of her arm and guided her back into the flood of teenagers.

After being squished out of the doors to the school, like through a very narrow toothpaste tube, they were finally out in the bright sunshine. Rogue took a deep breath.

"Fresh air, thank gawd!"

"Hey Rogue, can I drive to the mall?"

"Not in mah lifetime!" Rogue said vehemently. Kitty pouted sullenly and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Though it didn't take long before a smile returned to her face. She was really happy Rogue had agreed to go shopping with her.

"So anyway, I brought with me two flasks of water if we get thirsty, and several candy bars in case we get low blood sugar. And of course I've got the reusable shopping bags so we don't have to waste by buying more plastic bags. Environmental issues and all that."

"Geez, Kitty." Rogue said as they sat down in the car. "Yeh could think we could go campin' or somethin' the way yah prepare."

"What? This is the basic equipment for a day shopping. It's the matter of survival!"

Rogue rolled her eyes at Kitty's exaggeration but didn't push the subject any longer. She started up the car engines and rolled out of the parking lot and then they were on their way. Kitty rummaged through her bags in search for her candy bars and Rogue opened all the windows to quell the immense heat that was building up in the car. Being covered in clothes all over had its drawbacks.

"God, I can't wait until school is over! I'm getting really tired of it now." Kitty complained. Rogue glanced at her for a second before her gaze returned to the road in front of her.

"Yeah, and after that we have the final exam before we become seniors with the X-men." Rogue pointed out. Kitty gasped in sudden realisation.

"Oh right, I had totally forgotten! Our first solo mission!"

Rogue chuckled good-humouredly as Kitty's face contorted into one with worry.

"Don't worry Kitty, y'll be fahne. It's just one easy peasy mission on our own and then we are fully feathered X-men. And it's not like we're gonna do somethin' dangerous or anythin'. Probably just a simple recruit mission or somethin' similar."

"I hope you're right Rogue, I really do. But what happens if we fail? What'll we do then?"

"Kitty, we're not gonna fail. This is just to test how we behave on our own, so as long as you don't lash out on innocent humans you'll be fahne."

Kitty didn't look convinced though. Rogue sighed heavily.

"Trust meh Kitty, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Besides, think of the upsides with it. After this we won't be team captains anymore."

"We won't?"

"Nope. Someone of the younger students will get the chance to prove themselves. We will just go back to our own lazy ways where we don't have to worry 'bout a thing."

Now that did actually make Kitty smile eagerly.

"Really?" She wondered. "No more annoying brats fighting over petty things? No more excessive teenage hormones? No more morning sessions!?"

"Nope, not a thing."

"Wow, now I'm actually looking forward to it." She said and they laughed together.

The rest of the journey proceeded in the same manner, and they chatted about the upcoming missions and what they could be. It didn't take long before they arrived at Bayville centre's mall. Kitty practically jumped out of the car with bags and all, and dragged Rogue into the large building, barely giving her time to lock the car.

The mall was already brimming full with enthusiastic shoppers, creating large crowds everywhere. Rogue looked over the large mass of people in despair. Maybe Kitty hadn't been completely wrong when she said shopping was about survival, this was certainly going to be a challenge for Rogue. With a loud gulp she followed Kitty who had already started scouting.

Kitty wasn't much for a slow starter. It took her only 10 minutes to go through the entire first store _and_ pick out the clothes she thought would fit Rogue. Rogue followed her closely, always making shrewd comments on Kitty's choices. But it wasn't until Kitty picked up a disgustingly pink pastel coloured top she protested so loudly that several other costumers gave them snide looks. Kitty put the pink monster back carefully so she didn't awake the beast in Rogue again. Rogue only growled.

"No pastels."

They continued to the dress rooms and Rogue tried on the clothes Kitty had picked out for her, though she utterly refused to touch half of what she had chosen for her on the basis that it was absolutely too bright and sappy for her. The half of the half she had agreed upon trying out didn't look good on her, and the half of what did look good on her didn't have the correct size. She ended up buying only one dark green top, sparingly decorated with black lace on the fringes. Rogue smiled contently but Kitty threw her hands up in the air in defeat.

"God, Rogue! What was wrong with all the other clothes?"

"Too bright and bubbly. Not my style"

Kitty stared sardonically at her.

"You're gonna fight me every step of the way, aren'tcha?"

"Yup, pretty much."

Kitty sighed heavily and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But next store you're waiting outside until I've picked the clothes, and then you're gonna try out _everything_ I give you, okay?"

"Fahne." Rogue mumbled begrudgingly.

Clearly, this day was going to wear on both of them.

While Kitty went into the next store, Rogue waited outside with a bored look displayed on her face. She impatiently shifted the weight on her legs as she scanned the mall after something to entertain her. Nothing interesting caught her eye, only people passing by mostly in couples or groups. An old lady drinking soda with a straw, pursing her lips over her toothless gum. A mother trying to soothe her crying baby. A young couple arguing at the entrance of a boutique. Rogue rolled her head back and let out a loud groan. Why, oh why had she agreed to do this? She was definitely going to extract some sort of cruel revenge on Kitty after this. Like making her eat a tube full of wasabi. The corners of her mouth curled up into a menacingly grin at the thought of it.

But her track of thoughts was abruptly cut off when a pair of teenage girls walked past her, discussing wildly about something they had seen.

"Wow, did you see him? He was so hot!"

"Yeah, he looked like some kind of a movie star! Maybe he really was one?!"

Actually, there were several girls close by talking and whispering excitedly with their heads together about the same thing. Their male accompany had a painfully annoyed look on their faces, and they tried in vain to drag their girlfriends with them to another direction. Rogue followed the girls' gazes to see what the commotion was all about. It was a guy of course, that had caught everyone's attention. _What else could there be?_ Rogue thought sarcastically. But she took her time to study the 'oh so fascinating' guy anyway.

He was tall, about 6"2 or maybe even 6"3. Even though he had a tall lanky body, he still had broad shoulders and his frame was nicely muscled. He was dressed in a simple black dress shirt and a pair of grey washed out jeans. But even though there was a simplicity to his apparel, it still practically oozed out the word "expensive". Must have been Armada or any other overprized brand. Same went for his black sunglasses, which effectively covered his eyes. The simple silver earring pierced through one of his ears, and the coppery brown hair hanging down haphazardly in a careless, yet sexy way, completed the whole bad boy look.

Rogue snarled. Sure, he was hot but there really wasn't any reason to get so excited abou- Hold on. She frowned. Didn't she recognise him from somewhere? With narrowed eyes she studied him more carefully. Yes, she had definitely seen him somewhere, but she couldn't for the love of her life place him anywhere in her memory. Frustration made her smack her mouth. Where had she seen him before?

Suddenly a leggy blonde girl passed him by, giving him an appreciative once over. He gave her a suave grin in response, and when he studied her retreating form his red on black eyes flashed suddenly behind his shades.

The answer came to her like a struck of lightning, making her freeze in shock. It was him! The swamp rat! One of Magneto's goons! Here! Realisation had completely paralyzed her and her eyes stuck in a wide, stunned expression.

What was _he_ doing here!?

His gaze started to wander and Rogue, quick as a snake, fled into a nearby passageway to hide. With raised pulse she pressed her back up against the wall. Double damn. This was not good. A long string of curses went through her mind as she damned her luck. This was going to be one of those days when Murphy's Law reigned supreme, wasn't it?

Attentively, she looked around the corner to see if he had discovered her. Didn't look like it as he had his back turned to her, focusing on something, somewhere else. Rogue sighed in relief. Score to her against Murphy.

Kitty stepped out of the boutique and looked around in search for Rogue. Rogue took the opportunity to drag her friend behind the corner with her, while the swamp rat's attention was elsewhere. Kitty's wild protests were muffled by Rogue's hand, but when she discovered who her assailant was she quickly calmed down, though a malevolent expression fleeted across her features.

"Rogue, what the hell are you doing?"

"Hiding." Rogue whispered.

"Hiding from what!?"

"One of Magneto's goons." Kitty quickly sobered at this.

"What? Where?"

"He's standing in front of the jewellery shop around the corner."

Kitty leaned carefully out and looked around.

"What does he look like?"

"He's wearing shades and a black dress shirt."

Kitty's forehead wrinkled into a frown.

"Rogue." She said carefully. "There's no one with shades standing there. In fact, there's no one anywhere around here that match your description."

"What!?" Rogue lashed out and took a look for herself. Indeed, there was no sleazy Cajun standing there anymore. He had disappeared. She scanned the crowd after him but there was no trace of him. She scowled.

"But he was standing right there." She said completely befuddled and pointed at the spot where she had seen him. Kitty started to look concerned.

"Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?"

"Yes!" She hissed.

"Um, okay. Either way he's gone now, and we have more shops to visit! The shop here was no good, so on to the next!"

"But, bu-" Kitty took hold of her arm and ushered her out of her hiding place. Rogue struggled against her grip, putting her feet down to stop their advance, but Kitty's strong shopaholical arm mercilessly dragged her out. Panicking, Rogue looked around her, ready for an ambush at any moment.

But none came.

There were only innocent people passing them by, shooting them quizzical looks. Her tensed muscles slowly started to relax and she followed Kitty's lead less belligerently. When no danger presented itself after several minutes, Rogue relaxed completely and Kitty let go of her arm. There was nothing to worry about; ultra seedy swamp rat was nowhere in sight. With a little luck, he'd disappear to never show up again. Rogue smiled in relief. She really didn't want to meet him, especially after that kiss. How she saw it, a meeting between them again would either become another battle in the middle of the mall or he would make some really lewd comments on the whole thing. Or both. Either case; she didn't want to meet him again.

Kitty, who was completely oblivious to her predicament, had just got sight of her favourite shoe shop and squealed in delight. Running up to the shop, she pressed her face against the window with eyes big as saucers. A sick feeling of dread pooled in Rogue's stomach as she watched her friend drool over a pair of strap sandals.

"These are new!" She exclaimed gleefully, completely absorbed by the sight.

"Uhu." Rogue commented dryly, but was ignored. Kitty made a move to enter the shop and Rogue spoke up quickly while she was still in reach.

"Um, Kitty? Ah'm not in much need of shoes, but why don't yah go inside and have a look around while Ah go and buy some coffee, okay?"

She was only offered a vague affirmative response before Kitty was swallowed by the pretty little world of shoes. Rogue blinked.

"Definitely gonna need some coffee."

*

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Rogue was feeling a bit uncomfortable as she walked down the wide aisle. There was so much people everywhere, shouting, laughing and talking. She didn't like crowds; there was too much noise and a lot of dangerously exposed skin. And to tell the truth, Rogue already had her fair share of it today to make it last for another year. But Kitty was her friend, no matter how annoying she was, and no matter how different they were. So she endured for the sake of friendship. Kitty had done the same for her. In fact, Rogue had a very fond memory from last year when they had gone to the cinema together, and she had somehow managed to convince Kitty to watch a horror movie. While Rogue, all excited, had chatted away eagerly afterwards, Kitty had been pale as a ghost from Christmas past. Her nerves had become so damaged she had been twitchy all day afterwards. It had been at the time when Rogue and Kitty had shared rooms, and Rogue thought it had been hilarious to scare the valley girl with weird noises at night, even though she had been severely scolded and threatened to be thrown out of the room by her jittery roommate afterwards. The memory of it made her smile and she held onto it as she made her way through the chaotic mass.

Finding a place to buy coffee, though, proved to be trickier than she thought. They had apparently chosen a day when everyone thought it was a good idea to go to the mall, and fill up all the good coffee places at the same time. Long queues had been forming, running through very inappropriate places, cutting off passages and blocking the moving flood of people. Those places where there was a reasonable long queue had obnoxiously high prices, that even Rogue wasn't willing to pay, desperate situation or no.

"Un-freaking-believable!" She stood in front of the last coffee place she could find, with an stunned look on her face. "Whole Bayville must be here!"

Tired, she sighed in frustration. Looked like Murphy won another point. The queue was just as long as China was wide, filled with people gabbing loudly, parents with crying babies and pre-teens squealing and hustling. It didn't look good for her. Maybe she would go back to one of the expensive cafés, swallowing her pride while letting them actually steal from her before her eyes… With her consent! Oh, this was certainly a cruel ploy of the coffee trade. To exploit such poor caffeine addicts in such a horrible way. They must be millionaires by now.

With a tetchy look on her face she turned around to leave, only to collide with a solid, masculine body. A helping hand took hold of her waist to steady her, while she started sputtering excuses at an alarmingly high rate. It took a few seconds before she realised who she had run into.

"Hello, _chérie_" Gambit greeted her, with a playful smirk tugging the corners of his mouth. Rogue froze on the spot, utterly unable to respond. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Count the things she hadn't been expecting and this would be one of them. His grin widened, clearly enjoying seeing her so stunned.

"Swamp rat!" She finally managed, and harshly pushed herself off him. He remained unfazed by her actions, his grin never faltering.

"Fancy runnin' into y' here, _chère_."

Rogue snarled at him, but tensed a bit.

"What do yah want?" She asked, her tone demanding. She didn't like the way he looked at her; like a predator that finally had its prey in line of sight. It was unsettling, to the very least, absolutely creepy at the most. Adrenaline had already started to pump into her veins, her muscles tensing in suspense. She was ready to fight or run.

"Don't worry, _petite_, Remy's not here t' cause trouble." He assured her, noticing her rigid pose. With effort she managed to visibly relax, but in her mind she didn't let her guard down. Don't ever trust the enemy.

"Who's Remy?" She asked, feeling a little bewildered. His chuckles had a deep throaty quality to it, and Rogue imperceptibly shivered at the sound of it. Before she had the chance to protest, he scooped up her hand and kissed it gently, his eyes never leaving hers.

"My name is Remy Lebeau, or Gambit when I'm working." He presented himself, and then gave her a cheeky wink. "Y' can call me Remy." Scowling, she snatched her hand back and rubbed the place he had kissed, as if to erase it.

"Ah think Ah'll stick with Gambit." She asserted, with traces of annoyance in her voice. "If yah ain't here to fight, get out of mah way." She made a move to pass him by, but he quickly sidestepped to block her way.

"Aw, _chère_, aren't y' gonna return the courtesy and introduce y'self?" He asked in a mockingly doleful tone.

"Don't think so." She answered briskly and brushed pass him.

"Dat's too bad, Rogue! Remy had hoped we could get a little closer." He called after her, making her freeze in midst step.

He knew her name.

Chills went down her spine, and she sucked her breath through her teeth. Slowly turning around, her face in a mask of calmness in attempt to hide her fear, she looked him squarely in the eyes.

"Read mah file?" She asked while trying to keep her voice as evenly as possible. His eyes were sparkling behind his shades.

"_Peut-être_." He answered vaguely. Languidly he walked up to her, clearly invading her personal space, and towered over her. She arched her neck and looked at him defiantly in the eye. A smirk appeared on his features again. "What if I did?" He challenged and took a lock of her hair and twisted it around his fingers playfully. She ignored it.

"Did yah happen to read the part with the touching and dying?" There was intensity in her tone, a slight quiver when she worded the last syllables, easily missed if you didn't pay close attention. Her eyes burned an intense green, daring him to lie. Slowly, he dipped his face closer to hers.

"_Oui_." He answered simply, his breath hot against her face.

Frowning, she backed away a little and looked at him with a sceptical look.

"Yah have felt the effects of mah mutation, and yah know what it can do if you're careless… And yah're still comin' after meh?"

People didn't do that. As soon as they find out that her skin is a potential death bringer, they back off, walking long circles around her. Maybe they'd still give her a polite smile, and even try to cover up their hesitance, but in the end they all avoid her. It was the sanest, simplest action to do; it was a survivor instinct imprinted into their brains. Avoid death and danger. Some people like Logan and Kitty ignore this instinct, and get close to her anyway. But she could still feel their wary as soon as they got too close to her, the feeling palpable in the air. That's how her mutation works the minds of people around her, making them feel uncomfortable and cautious. It had been like this for so long that she had even stopped thinking about it. But now, when Gambit so recklessly and deliberately gets close to her, her mind starts reeling, trying to process the new situation.

"I'm not afraid, _chère_."

She could feel he was telling the truth. But if he wasn't afraid because of courage or stupidity, she couldn't decide.

"Not afraid of me or not afraid of dying?" She asked and crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him expectantly.

"Neither." He replied boldly, without missing a beat. She snickered. It was reason number two then; stupidity.

"Well, Gambit." She said, and leaned closer to him, their eyes locked, and whispered sweetly. "Then you really are a fool." He grinned in response and his hand returned to her hair, entangling his fingers with wisps of auburn and white. It was a confirmation that he didn't fear her, and a new feeling of astonishment and wonder crept up on her. The small tugs of her hair, the proximity and vibrant presence of him made her feel slightly elevated. This man was without doubt the most reckless and daring person she had ever met. Their bare skin was only a few inches from each other, and he didn't even blanch. Applauds to him, he was the first to do it, but she sure as hell wasn't going to be all gooey about it.

"Maybe so." He said lethargically. There was a beat, his eyes twinkled, and then with a more jocular voice he asked "Ever gone out on a date with a fool b'fore, _mignon_?" She frowned at his sudden turn in mood, uncertain where he was going now.

"What is that to you?" She asked suspiciously, on her guard again.

"'Cause Remy would like t' take y' on one. How 'bout some coffee?"

"First of all; hell no! Second of all; have you seen the queues around here? Good luck getting coffee _today_." She exasperated, and gestured to their surroundings. His eyes wandered around the large facility, scrutinizing the long rows of people in front of the coffee shops. With a snicker he turned around to her again.

"Tell y' what chère. Let's make a little bet, shall we?"

"What kind of bet?" She asked slowly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"If Remy gets y' coffee in 2 minutes, you and I are gonna go somewhere and have a nice little chat, _d'accord_?" His features were set in that overly confident expression again, and he flashed her a cocky grin. She gave him a flat look.

"No date? Just conversation?"

"As far as Remy knows, talking with each other equals a conversation."

She kept staring at him, not yielding until she had a proper answer. He ran a hand through is coppery hair and with a defeated sigh surrendered under her stern gaze.

"Fine okay, no date jus' talk."

"And if yah fail?"

"Remy won't be botherin' y' again."

She could live with that. If he succeeded she was going to get her long sought coffee, and that he was going to be with her was just a minor detail she could ignore. (It was coffee for Christ's sake, it would take a lot of him to deter her attention from that!) And if he failed she wouldn't have to put up with him ever again. Looked like a win-win situation to her.

"Fahne." She conceded, wondering if he actually would pull it off. "Give it yah best shot."

The corner of his mouth curled up in a smug grin.

"_Très bien, ma chère_, Remy will get y' coffee then. Jus' watch and learn." He gave her a cheeky wink and then turned around to disappear in the masses. Rogue crossed her arms over her chest, and listlessly waited for him to work his miracles.

After a few seconds of normalcy, a sudden cry erupted from somewhere in the crowd. Heads turned around wondering what had happened. Suddenly another cry came from somewhere close by the first one. Angry voices carried over the buzz from the crowd, and people started to move away from a certain spot where all the commotion came from. Two men were standing face to face, their features contorted with anger as they barked furiously at each other. Suddenly one of them pushed the other and then one, two, three; hell breaks loose.

Rogue's eyebrows shot up in surprise as the two men started brawling, scaring off the people around them. Mothers with their babies quickly made their escape, and others followed, leaving only a few people who stood at a distance, curiously watching the fight. Rogue suddenly got sight of Gambit, as he walked into the coffee shop seemingly oblivious to the disorder outside. He walked up to the stupefied cashier, saying something to her with a butter melting smile and two seconds later the girl was all blushes and giggles. Before Rogue even had blinked he strode out of the shop with two coffee cups in his hands, and a shit eating grin on his face.

"Here y' go." He said and gave her one of the cups. Rogue stared at him in astonishment.

"You were the one that caused the fight?"

"_Ouais_." He answered shamelessly.

Rogue's jaw opened and closed several times before she scowled irately. "People could have been hurt!" She seethed, clenching her hands, one almost squashing her coffee cup. He only shrugged at her anger.

"Not if they back away, they don't."

He walked away but when he noticed that she didn't follow he turned around and looked at her.

"Are y' comin'?"

Cursing, Rogue took a huge gulp of the steaming hot drink in her hands, and then hurried to catch up with him.

Damn him.

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**French translations;**

_Peut-être_ – Maybe

_Mignon_ – Cute/cutie

_Très bien_ – Very well

_Ouais_ – Yup/yeah

**A/n**: Oooh the mystical power of coffeeee! I can sure feel the pull of it. There isn't any morning I can survive without coffee, seriously. I'm addicted. You guessed that right? Anyway, I was writing this chapter and when I got halfway I suddenly realised that I had already reached like 4500 words. Halfway. So I decided to cut the chapter in half and here is **Meetings and Coffee Part 1**. Part 2 comes somewhere in the near future. It isn't written yet 'cause right now I'm so tired I'm seeing double. But before I go to bed I just wanna say that today I went and saw the new x-men film! Seeing Remy come to life like that was a divine experience for me. Taylor Kitsch played him extremely well, and he really nailed that devil-may-care attitude! The ending was perfect for a Gambit sequel. Hope it happens, and Taylor did say he would murder to play Gambit again. I think it's safe to say that he have half of the female population standing behind him, cheering him on. Make it happen, please!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n**; Wow, okay the chapter is finally up! Took longer than I had originally planned, but I got so caught up in schoolwork that I sorta lost the story there for a moment. But thanks to all the kind reviews I've got, I found my way back. So, thank you, they're much appreciated and help me going! Oh and a side note on this chapter, I have no idea how the real Bayville looks like, so I'm just gonna make something up. Hope you'll like it!

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_Chapter Seven_

**Meetings and Coffee Part 2**

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»_Stripes, what the hell do you think you're doing?_« Logan's psyche growled viciously in her mind as she followed Gambit out of the mall.

Outside the sun was still shining brightly, luring people out in the open. The quenching heat was occasionally doused by a cool wind, easing Rogue's unpleasant warmth that steamed underneath her concealing clothes. Gambit seemed to know where they were going already so she just followed him, one or two steps behind. With his broad back in her line of sight, she carefully studied him, his confident gait and posture. There was a relaxed atmosphere around him, like he had nothing in the world to worry about. Wondering what he was up to, Rogue narrowed her eyes as if she tried to see into his mind.

»_Relax, Logan. Ah know what Ah'm doing_.« She reassured him, somewhat absently, and mentally waived her hand in impatience. »_Go back to knitting or whatever yah do behind the wall._«

He growled in response, clearly not satisfied with her answer.

»_Rogue, can't you remember?_« Kitty asked gingerly. »_I know he's like a total hunk and all, but he's the one you fought with before, you know. Enemies, and all that. Ringing any bells?_«

Rogue sighed heavily, and grudgingly turned her attention inwards.

»_Ah don't trust him, okay? And Ah know he wants something from me, why would he do this otherwise? So Ah'll just follow and find out what it is, and if he tries anything Ah'll just knock him out._«

There was a collective silence in her mind as the psyches glanced at each other gingerly. Rogue could feel their doubt, and even slivers of amusement radiating from them. Feeling her patience weary with a rising annoyance, she tried not to snap at them, but only half succeeded.

»_What?_« She bristled.

»_Well…_« They began leisurely. »_Last time… It didn't go quite so well, did it?_«

Frowning, she glared at them with a confused expression.

»_What are yah talking about?_« She asked, knowing full well that they were referring to Gambit's and hers fight before. »_Ah won_.«

»_Only _after_ he had completely kicked your ass_« They explained. »_You were lying on the floor, remember? If you hadn't tricked him into kissing you, he would have been the superior winner, without doubt… Do you really think you can trick him a second time?_«

She huffed and mentally shrugged.

»_Ah'll be fahne._«

»_Bu-_«They began but Rogue's patience had finally waned out, and she snapped.

»_Ah'll handle it!_«

Pushing them far off in her mind, she put a strong mind wall between them and her. Their displeasure was palpable in the air, and their intensifying protests vibrated through the wall. She knew that when they would come out again, she would pay for it.

As long as she could remember, she and the psyches had always struggled. They were unpredictable, their moods could swing from happiness to anger in the blink of an eye. It was a long time ago she had given up pleasing them, they were too many and too dissatisfied with their existence in her mind. Some tried to take over control of her, some just wanted to make her life miserable but most of them just wanted out, to live. But it was an impossibility, and even though Rogue had tried to explain this to them a thousand times, they didn't listen. Consequently, there was always a struggle. Rogue had to be firm and forceful to remain in control, otherwise she could easily fall prey for their will. But there was always a risk to anger them too much, but right now she was too irked to bother being tactful.

Muttering to herself, she failed to notice that Gambit had slowed his pace to walk beside her. Pensively, he studied her features as if he tried to find the answer to a very complex riddle.

"Is dat a habit of yours?" He asked after a while. Rogue jolted in the air at the sound of voice so close to her.

"Oh for crying out loud!" She gasped and veiled her eyes with a hand to take the edge of her sudden panic. Steadying her breathing, she swallowed a venomous retort, remembering his question. His eyes were lit with amusement she could see behind the shades, and her response came out slightly more petulant than she had in mind.

"What is?"

The corner of his mouth curled up in a half grin.

"Talking t' y'self." He replied. She huffed in annoyance.

"Ah don't see why that's any of yah business."

He hummed, and glanced at her from the side with a small secretive grin tugging the corners of his mouth. Rogue tried to look indifferent under his intense gaze, languidly drinking her coffee with half lidded eyes. With fraying nerves, she made her movements slow and deliberate, to not reveal her discomfort.

For a moment she thought she could not stand a second longer of his surreptitious gaze, when he suddenly cleared his throat and imperceptibly shifter his features into something more casual.

"Y' don't strike me as the kind of girl who likes t' go shopping." He said with a lackadaisical expression. Rogue felt like scowling, but ended up with a slight pout instead.

"Ah'm not. But just because Ah don't like it, doesn't mean Ah still don't need clothes sometimes." She explained grudgingly, remembering that her ordeal at the mall was still not over. Kitty would probably phone her any minute now, asking where she was and then drag her back to those horrifying shops.

"Hmm…" He hummed, and gave her an appraising look. "Think y' would just look fine wit'out any clothes at all, _chère_."

She stopped dead, and looked at him in astonishment. A rosy blush coloured her cheeks, and her mouth was slightly opened as if she wanted to protest but couldn't get the words out.

Gracing her with a throaty chuckle, and an ever so smug grin, Gambit produced a cigarette seemingly from nothing, lighting it with a tap of his finger. Turning around, he stepped forward a little to tower over her, and dipped his head to slide into her direct line of sight.

"Has anyone told y' dat y' look _très belle_ when y' blush?" He asked and grinned shamelessly.

Rogue bristled, and balled her hands into fists, almost diminishing her cup of coffee in to a lumpy wad of paper. Clenching her jaw, she scowled at him, making her green eyes ignite with anger.

"What do yah want, Gambit?" She demanded, her tone dropping to a dangerous level. Her patience had officially reached its end, and now she wanted answers, fast.

"'S Remy." He corrected, and eased back to take a deep drag of his cigarette. Tilting back his head he blew out the smoke above her head. She could smell faint traces of the tobacco in the air, a particular spicy brand she didn't recognise.

"_Gambit_." She said, insisting on his work name, and added with a different tone, "Do yah really expect meh to believe that you're only a member of the Acolytes part time? That this is only some weird attempt to be friends when we really are enemies? Ah know yah want something from me, so just spit it out!" The last syllables came out with an undercurrent of frustration in her tone. Looking at him expectantly, she waited impatiently for an answer. With slow deliberate movements, he put the cigarette in his mouth and inhaled the toxic smoke. Rogue had to force down a comment about the fatality of tobacco. After all, she didn't want to give him the impression that she cared.

"Not a member." He finally said. It took a moment before the comment registered in her mind, and when it did she looked at him with a confused expression.

"Huh?" She asked stupidly, not quite sure she had heard him right. He chuckled, a low throaty laugh that sent shivers of delight down her spine as the warm sound tingled in her ears. He tapped the cigarette, ashes flitting to the ground like grey snowflakes, and finally took of his sunglasses. His eyes emitted a slow churning glow, effectively trapping her gaze with those enigmatic red orbs. A sudden lump in her throat formed, which she unsuccessfully tried to swallow. She forced down her gaze to the corner of his mouth instead, which tugged a little in the corner as if another full blown smirk were to break loose.

"'M not a member." He repeated. "Only hired. There's a difference. And what I do wit' my free time 's my business." She raised a delicately formed eyebrow, and shifted her weight, making her hip slightly thrust to one side.

"Hired, huh?" Her tone indicated a slight scepticism. "Like a mercenary or something?"

"Somethin' like dat." He answered evadingly. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Oh, great." She deadpanned. "Instead of brainless lackey, you're a depraved scallywag without morals, doing whatever just for the sake of money." Gracing him with a cynical look, she summed it up with a sardonic tone. "_What_ an improvement."

Brushing pass him, she threw her crumpled coffee cup into the nearest trash bin. Finally taking the time to inspect her surroundings, she noticed that they had entered a park. They were standing on a small road, neighboured by a large artificial pond which was encircled by willows. The air was cool in the shadows of the large trees, perfect for Rogue's overdressed apparel. There weren't many people around, they all sought the direct sunlight outside of the protection of the trees, like moths to a flame. Rogue snickered, not quite understanding this sun worship. Not that she preferred to the freezing cold or anything, the warmth was much appreciated. But direct sunlight with all her clothes? No thanks.

"Well, what 'bout you, _chère_?" Gambit asked behind her, his voice dragging her back to reality. Frowning, she turned around to meet his level gaze.

"What about meh?" She asked, not quite sure what he was referring to.

"Runnin' 'round only in a spandex suit, fightin' 'the bad guys' all the time. 'S dat you're idea of a life?" He asked sceptically, but quickly added with a lewd smirk, "But hey, not dat I'm complaining. Dat tight fittin' suit sure looks good on y'." His intense gaze travelled over her body appreciatively, lingering in certain areas a moment longer than what Rogue deemed appropriate. She felt like she was being undressed by his brazen stares, and a fervent blush bloomed on her cheeks, revealing her sudden embarrassment. To hide her imaginary nudity she tucked her arms around her chests tightly, but that only made her "assets" even more apparent. Quickly letting her arms slack to her sides, her hesitation took the better of her and she snapped angrily at him.

"We fight for a cause! There's purpose in what we do."

He hummed slowly, as if he didn't quite believe her.

"So y' believe in what dat Xavier guy preaches? Peace b'tween mutants and humans?" He asked and closed the distance between them, towering over her.

"Wha- well, I dunno." She fumbled, thrown off guard by the proximity of him. The spicy smell of him filled her nose, making her feel all woozy and lightheaded. Stubbornly, she took a step back to a safer distance. "Damn it, Gambit! Ya said ya wanted to talk, just tell meh what it's all about!"

"Just makin' a conversation." He remarked lightly, tapping his cigarette again, and walked to a nearby park bench to sit down. He patted the space beside him, indicating her to join him.

"C'mon" He coaxed and inclined his head. Rogue narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously. His features were relaxed into an innocent appearance, but she wasn't fooled, there was definitely nothing innocent about him. She didn't move an inch, her muscles tense and acute, as if she was going to be attacked at any moment. Gambit seemed to notice this, and he sighed heavily.

"Relax, chère, 'm not gonna bite." He assured her. But then the corner of his mouth curled up in a sly smirk. "'Less y' like dat kind of stuff, o' course." He added, his voice thick with suggestion. Rogue scoffed, but couldn't prevent a rosy blush creeping up her cheeks. As if to show him she wasn't afraid, she sat down beside him, but at a defiant distance. Draping an arm across the backrest, he leaned a bit forward as if to close the distance between them. Rogue rolled her eyes and slid further away from him.

"Ah don't trust yah." She stated flatly. He responded with a lazy shrug.

"Fair 'nuff." He grinned. "'S only our first date an' all."

"Yea- wait, you – what?!" She exasperated, and looked at him indignantly. "Yah said this wasn't a date!" She exclaimed loudly, her voice shrill in her own ears.

"Hmm, did I?" Gambit contemplated, in a mocking tone. "Sorry, I lied then." A devilish smirk quirked the corners of his mouth, making him look downright sinful. Rogue seethed, baring her teeth in an angry hiss.

"This is **not** a date." She determined stubbornly, with suppressed fury in her tone. His eyes were lit with amusement, which only added fuel to her fire. If he so much as chuckled at her, she would bit his damn head off.

"Hmm, sittin' on a bench in the park after a cup of coffee, talkin'." He began leisurely, and turned his face to meet her furious gaze, grinning. "Sure looks like a date t' me."

Rogue howled in frustration and threw her hands in the air, as if the call the gods to witness his stubbornness. He was without doubt the most horrible, perverted, stubborn, shameless man she had ever met in her entire life. And that's just after a few minutes of interaction with him. That smug grin playing on his lips was taunting her something terrible, and she had to exercise some great feats of self-control to not to punch the lights out of him.

Balling her hands into fists, she suddenly felt a small stir in her mind as the psyches in her head started to pick up on her passionate emotions swirling around. Forcing herself to breathe slowly and relax her clenched hands, she suppressed her anger in attempt to make the psyches go back to their lethargic state. Closing her eyes, she focused hard to maintain her mind walls. _Breathing in, breathing out_. The psyches prodded the wall gingerly. _Breathing in_. But after a pause of hesitation, they slowly retreated from their prison walls, to desultorily wander in their confined space. _Breathing out_.

Easy enough.

Opening her eyes again, she focused on the stretch of water in front of them, determined not to look Gambit directly in the face. In her periphery vision, she saw him exhale a bluish trail of smoke in the air and flick the burnt down cigarette away. She could almost feel his glowing gaze burn against her skin, enticing her to look at him. Dipping her head forward to let a tendril of her hair fall down at the side of her face, she avoided the temptation.

"Have ya always been this annoying?" She finally asked, breaking the silent moment.

"Y' tell me, _chère_. Y' absorbed my memories, right?"

Rogue sharply turned around to meet the intensity of his eyes. His posture was slightly tensed, and he looked at her through half lidded eyes, as if he was trying to hide something. The corner of his mouth was only curled up in a half grin, not quite so smug as before.

Had she imagined a slight accusation in his tone? It had been faint, like the barest of whispers in a noisy crowd, but Rogue had picked it up immediately.

She almost sighed.

But what had she expected? No one liked to have their secrets, their memories and shame so bluntly exposed to someone else. It was something she could identify herself with.

Her eyes softening, she curved her lips into a faint, reassuring smile.

"Yeah Ah did." She said. "But Ah haven't looked or anything. They're locked away safely in mah head."

The slight tension in his shoulder released instantly, and at the same moment she knew she had been right. Wondering what possible secrets he could carry to make him so guarded, she studied his features as if the curves and lines in his face could tell the story of his life.

"Y' can do dat? Lock them all away I mean." He asked, back at his usual relaxed composure. Rogue nodded slowly.

"Yeah, well, Ah still get glimpses of some memories as Ah absorb them, but they're all locked away."She explained, still having an unrelenting urge to reassure him. She didn't know his secrets, or his shame.

He cocked a questioning eyebrow. "Why do y' lock dem away? Thought y' would examining dem t' the tiniest detail, us being enemies and all."

Exhaling, Rogue rolled her shoulders to warm up her stiff back, using it as a feeble excuse to look anywhere else but his searching eyes. They were slowly getting into a subject she wasn't so fond of sharing.

"Nah, there would be too many memories for meh to handle." She explained. "It's for mah sanity's sake."

He nodded slowly, as if he understood perfectly what she was saying. Rogue doubted it, but silently let the subject drop. He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Sure was a hell of a kiss dough." He said jokingly and laughed. Rogue scoffed indignantly, but a small smile was tugging the corners of her lips as they treaded back to safe ground.

"So, what did y' see?" He asked after a moment. Rogue shrugged indecisively.

"Nothing solid, just fleeting moments ya know. The bayou. A boy with reddish hair, grinning. The streets of New Orleans. And erhm…" Suddenly a few certain fragmented memories of Gambit, naked and intimately entangled with a blond woman, surfaced in her mind. Their bodies were sweaty and flushed from their latest exercise, their skin naked and exposed to the cool air. The woman looked at Gambit, blue eyes still hazy after the sudden peak of pleasure. Her full red lips silently moaned his name.

Rogue felt a searing blush burning her cheeks at the memory, and she desperately wished she had something to hide her face behind. Gambit noticed her flaming cheeks, and a smug grin started to form.

"Saw somethin' y' liked, _chère_?" He asked, his eyes twinkling in amusement. Rogue forced out a scoff, desperately trying to come off as indifferent.

"Ya're incorrigible." She criticized. He gave her a throaty laugh, making the air tingle with the sound of his mirth.

"Mebbe so." He purred and took a stray lock of her hair between his fingers, playing with it teasingly. "But the _femmes_ like it."

"Doubt it." She mumbled and swatted his hand away with an annoyed expression.

Truth was, she didn't really doubt it. It hadn't taken many glimpses of his memories for her to realise that Gambit was a total player, going from woman to woman without any care for the consequences. With his handsome looks and brazen demeanour, he had women falling all over for him. It really wasn't any wonder that his head was so blown up, if this is how he'd always been encountered by women.

Thinking of ways on how to deflate his oversized ego, she failed to notice the stirring in her mind.

»_Oh my god_!« Kitty's psyche suddenly said. »_I can't believe it! He's flirting with you. I mean, not that there is anything weird with that, but you're actually enjoying it!«_

Rogue's eyes widened with horror. Oh god…

»_Stripes, get the hell out of there, or I'll skewer Gumbo here to tiny pieces_.«

Not again…

»_Oh god, he's like so my type_!« Alison exclaimed.

This was getting annoying…

»_Rogue, get away from him quickly, he can't be trusted_.«

Seriously…

The psyches in her head had somehow broken through her mind walls again.

In the world of her mind they all swirled around, breaking the law of gravity Rogue always tried to enforce. It irked her that they could so easily ignore the boundaries she had set, so easily making her chaotic world even more chaotic.

Annoyed, she looked up at them from the ground, wondering if it was possible she could just stuff them back behind the wall again.

They floated in the air, some of them more materialized than others, depending on how much of the real personas she had absorbed. The most solid psyches were the ones she had come to know when she joined the X-men, but there were one or two others that were just as solid. Not all of them needed to be absorbed several times to become like that. Sometimes it just needed some interaction and scooping through memories to stabilize a psyche. Carol was like one of those psyches. Rogue had only absorbed her once in her lifetime, but she had worked so hard with the blonde wonder woman, that she had become just as tangible as the X-men in her mind.

Carol was now sneering at the others, clearly not as impressed by the new antigravity world as them. She was obviously more used to it, with her flying abilities and all, and she took great pleasure in showing that to everyone else with complex acrobatics in the air.

Rogue sighed in her mind. Her chances of having a quite time in her head were next to zero now. They were enjoying themselves too much.

She just had to ignore them until they had calmed themselves enough to be contained again. It would take a while though…

"How d' y' do dat?"

The sound of Gambit's voice dragged her back to reality. With a slightly bemused expression she looked at him. His eyes were narrowed to a squint as if he was looking at a bright light, and he studied her face so thoroughly she felt a rising blush coming.

"Do what?" She asked nonplussed, and tried to quench the flaring embarrassment of his visual exploration. He didn't seem to notice.

"The thing wit' y' emotions." He clarified. "When I read y' wit' my empathy, your emotions shift faster than any person I've ever met b'fore. 'S like looking through a multicoloured, facetted glass sweep you by, when I'm used t' look through plain, ordinary glass… How d' y' do dat?"

Rogue blinked. What in the world was he talking about?

Shifting emotions? Far as she could tell, her emotions didn't shift. For the past time she had been constantly annoyed with that sweet-talking Swamp rat, and making a double check, yeah, she was still annoyed with him. So what could he be talking about? She was just feeling like she normally….

Unless.

Unless…

His empathy picked up the emotions of the psyches in her head, making it look like the feelings came from her, and not them.

Oh god…

He could do that?

Somehow, that felt very comforting. The voices in her head, they had always been a part of her she never really had been able to explain. Normal people didn't hear voices, unless they were completely mad, so they had no idea how it was to live your life with a thousand voices screaming in your head, commanding her and dragging you to all different directions. But how could she possibly explain that? She couldn't. She didn't even know if it was for real, or if she really was mad.

So hearing him say that even he could pick up on their existence, it felt comforting to know that they were for real. It wasn't just a play in her mind, the psyches were for real.

Rogue could feel a slow smile starting to form, quirked in the edges, making it look mysterious and secretive.

"Well, Ah guess that's for meh to know and for you to find out." She sang, and laughed delightfully. Before Gambit had the chance to respond, the ringtone of her phone cut the air with a loud beep. Fishing it up from the pocket, Rogue answered with a smile still showing on her face.

"Hello?"

"_Rogue! Like, where are you!?_" Kitty's shrill voice came through the phone. "_I've been looking all over for you!_"

"Oh, you know…" Rogue answered in a jocular voice. "Starting up brawls, taking a coffee break, fraternizing with the enemy, stuff like that."

"_Oh…_" Kitty said, quickly taking up on the turns. "_So… the usual then?_"

"Yup, pretty much."

"_Are you coming back now?_"

"Sure, Kitty, Ah'll be there in a minute. See yah in a sec, bye!"

"Dat your friend?" Gambit asked, with the same devilish grin, as Rogue hung up the phone and pocketed it.

"Yeah." She answered noncommittally.

"Is it a habit of yours t' date the enemy?" He inquired, looking very amused. Rogue's face shifted into a serious expression, and she stood up from the bench, to look down at him with the very same expression.

"Swamp rat, Ah want yah to listen and to listen good, 'cause Ah'll only say this once." She began with an even, solemn voice. "Ah don't _do_ dates… Ah don't do relationships, the sappy romantic moments, the dreamy eyes or any of that crap for that matter. This is how far as it goes, how far anyone have gone; conversation. So Ah hope yah enjoyed the moment while it lasted, 'cause this is it."

Completely unfazed by her tirade, he looked at her with those red, sinful eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he was suppressing a smirk.

"Y' sure 'bout dat, _chère_?" He hummed. A sudden urge to swallow hard overcame her, but she suppressed it.

"Absolutely, positively certifiable." She assured him, with more conviction in her voice than she felt. "If we ever meet again, it will be on the field of battle."

"_D'accord, chérie_." He complied leisurely, his eyes twinkling. "Until then."

Rogue blinked, surprised by his easy admission. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, she studied his face thoroughly. But his features were all innocence and openness, revealing no ulterior agenda. Nodding slowly, as if agreeing, she turned around and walked away.

With her back against him, she missed his sly mischievous smirk that made him look like the devil himself.

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**A/n;** Oooh a whole chapter chockfull of ROMY goodness! And some interaction with the psyches as well. I know some authors pretty much ignore the psyches, but my version of Rogue really has a one foot in the reality and another in the reality of her mind, so it was important to include that. Next chapter; Angel arrives at the mansion with a surprise! Probably not gonna be such a long chapter, maybe 3000 words, something like that, but anyway.

"Absolutely, positively certifiable" Is a quote by Rogue from X-treme X-men #5.

On a completely different note, Legacy #224 is released 27th May! Yay, so longed for! But I must confess, I've cheated a little …. I've already seen the kiss ^^. Hey, we all knew it was gonna be a kiss, so that shouldn't even be counted as a spoiler, right? But the exciting thing is, it looks like it is the _kiss_, with a big K. In a, now she has finally gotten control of her powers, let's finally be together – kiss! *excited squeal* And for real then, I mean! Not like that single night in uncanny #348, or the weird sort of bad feeling thing they had going on in x-treme x-men, or in the Gambit series, when he had his full powers which then completely whacked out again. I mean for _real_, real. Otherwise, Marvel's gonna crack a new record in "unwillingness to join two people that are clearly meant to be together". I mean it's pretty ridiculous as it already is. For how long have they been going now? Since the basketball game in X-men #4? And that was what? Published 1991? Oh my god, that's 18 years… 18 years of an off/on relationship! Geez, someone give them a medal! That's hilarious!

Aww, I want it to be 27th now! Can't wait ^^

And some **BIG** hugs to all the people who have reviewed, thank you so much! Every time I see one of those little notes, even if it is just to say hi, I feel so happy.

I hope you continue to review, it really helps me going.

Hugs,

//Fahne


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N; **Ehe he he… Okay, okay I confess, I'm not a precog. I was absolutely convinced that this chapter wasn't going to be more than 3000 words, but ehe, somehow it escalated up to 6000 words… I had fun writing it ^^ But see it as an apology for being so rudely late with this chappie. Enjoy!

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_Chapter Eight_

**At the End of a Prayer…**

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"Aaaaah!!"

Rogue woke up with a jolt as the shrill sound of the Valley girl's scream carried through the wall, piercing her ears. Confused and still not quite awake, she rubbed her eyes with her ungloved hands, almost wincing at the unusual feeling of soft skin against her hands. She glanced at the clock on her night stand. It showed 8:07… 8:07? Groaning, she fell back on her pillow to fall asleep again. It was an early Saturday morning and she was determined to get that wondrous morning sleep she never got anytime else in the week. Logan was a huge pusher for morning session in the Danger room, but Rogue had vetoed the morning sessions on weekends. Damn it, she had to get her precious sleep sometime. Snuggling deeper into her pillow, she started slowly to drift off again.

But once again a loud scream was heard from the neighbouring room. Cursing and spitting, she stretched out a hand blindly to the night stand and found her gloves, which she slipped on in one fluid motion. Already in a pair of string pants and a long-sleeved shirt, she phased into Kitty's room.

"I can't believe you, Bobby!" Kitty screamed loudly and pointed an accusing finger at him, her eyes wide with shock. Bobby held up his palms in a gesture of surrender, sputtering incomprehensible excuses while slowly backing up against the wall.

"I'm sorry Kitty, I d-didn't think you- I'm sorry!" He stuttered. Rogue rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.

"What did he do now, Kitty?" She asked the Valley girl with a tired expression. Kitty swirled around to her newly awoken neighbour, surprised at her sudden appearance. It took a second before she regained her previous air and manner, but before she even had the chance to fill her in on what had happened, Bobby exclaimed loudly,

"Rogue, thank god you're here! Can you explain to Kitty that I just-"

"Rogue, you won't believe what he did!" Kitty interrupted. Rogue gave a slight shake with her head and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"H-he touched m….touched m-" She stuttered but seemed unable to actually form the words.

"What?" Rogue pressed, feeling slightly impatient… It was very early in the morning, she argued to herself. Kitty plucked up the courage and whispered something in her ear. Rogue's eyes widened and she turned sharply to Bobby.

"You did what!?" She yelled at him, her expression very similar to how Kitty had looked a moment before. It was almost comical to see how Bobby's distress grew by the second as he realised that Rogue wasn't going to be an ally in this dispute.

"What, Rogue, I thought-" He started, but Rogue cut him off.

"Thought what exactly? You know how prude Kitty is about these things!"

"Hey!"Kitty exclaimed indignantly. Rogue cast an apologetic glance her way.

"Sorry Kitty but it's true." Kitty huffed.

"Yeah, okay then." She admitted grudgingly, but still looked slightly offended. They both turned to Bobby again, who was on the verge to slink out of the room, but as soon as he felt their steely stares on him, he froze… No pun intended.

"Erhm, right." He said slowly and turned around to meet them. "I was just about to say that I had no idea it was such a big deal about it. Honestly." He tried, and set his face into an angelic expression. Only thing missing was a Gloria above his head. Rogue scoffed.

"Where Ah come from, people just don't do the kind of things you did. Better apologize to Kitty quickly before she tears yah a new one."

"Okay, okay!" He complied and turned to Kitty. "I'm so sorry I touched your computer, Kitty. It will never happen again." Apparently, Kitty felt the apology was adequate, because she deigned him with a curt nod in response. He sighed in relief, already feeling the noose around his neck loosing. Rogue gave him a quizzical look.

"Why are yah here anyway?" She asked him inquisitively. He gave her a perplexed look as if he just remembered he came there for a reason, but had forgotten what the reason was. It took several passing moments before his face shone up in recollection.

"Now I remember!" He proclaimed triumphantly. "Logan wanted me to tell you, erhm-" He coughed. "Quoting; Get yer lazy asses down to the dock because I need you to prepare the Blackbird." There was a slight pause before he added, "And don't drag yer legs behind you, otherwise you'll receive extra Danger room sessions as punishment… On weekends…" He finished with a sheepish smile and shrugged.

"Say what!?" Rogue and Kitty exclaimed at the same time.

"Why can't he let Forge fix it?" Rogue inquired heatedly.

"Logan mentioned something about Forge being busy with installing the new upgrades to the Danger room."

"Well, like, why can't he do it instead of us? And like, why so early?" Kitty pressed, feeling just as upset as Rogue.

"Well, he was busy with something, and other than him it's just you Kitty who can do it. And he wanted you to help, Rogue. And fast, he needed the Blackbird fast, that's what he said… Hey don't look at me like that, I'm just the messenger!"Rogue and Kitty stole a glance at each other, knowing full too well that this was all Logan's idea, but that didn't prevent them from scowling fiercely at Bobby. He shrugged again.

"Fahne." Rogue complied grudgingly, after a while. "We'll help him this time. But he owes us! Tell him that." Bobby nodded in understanding, and a moment later he was out of the room.

"See yah at the dock in five." Rogue said to Kitty and phased through the wall back into her room.

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It required a number of check-ups, fine wiring and testing to prepare the Blackbird for flight. Normally, Forge did everything in the mornings, but as it were he was engaged elsewhere. The only two left that could manage it were Kitty and Logan, but since Logan was busy, the task fell on Kitty to do it with Rogue as help.

"How does it look?!" Kitty asked from the cockpit, inside of the Blackbird, her voice slightly muffled through all the steel and whatnot. Rogue stood on the outside and examined the jet critically. The jet was halfway through the invisibility process, and looked more like a smoky ghost than anything else.

"Looks good!" Rogue informed her. The process continued and it became more and more transparent. The black faded to grey, and the edges of the jet's body and wings blurred and soon disappeared. Two more seconds and it was completely invisible.

"And now?" Kitty's voice came from the voice where the jet had been standing not a moment before.

"Still good… Wait, hold on… Kitty… You better come out and take a look at this." The Blackbird's invisible bridge lowered and revealed a floating room in the air. Kitty jumped out of it and joined Rogue.

"Why? What's wrong?" She asked and looked at the jet, or rather, where the jet should have been standing.

"Can't yah see?" Rogue asked. "Look carefully." Kitty narrowed her eyes and stared intently.

"No I don't see anythi- Hold on!" She cocked her head to the sides, looking at it from different angles.

"Oh fiddlesticks… It's pink!"

True enough. There was a slight, barely-there shimmer of pink where the Blackbird was standing, revealing its position.

"Must be a glitch." She concluded.

"Can yah fix it?" Rogue asked curiously.

"Sure. Think Forge showed me how to do it once. Like, it can't be too difficult, can it?"

"Don't ask meh. Ah'm not the technology nerd here." Kitty scoffed.

"No one's a nerd here, Rogue." She chided while they both went back into the Blackbird again. "Not Forge either. He's just, you know…"

"Very interested in one specific area, borderline freakish in his interest?" Rogue supplied sarcastically, and sat down on one of the chairs.

"Exactly!" Kitty exclaimed cheerfully, completely missing the tone, and bowed down to open a shutter under the control panel. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Kitty, that's the very definition of a nerd." She informed her sardonically.

"Oh." Kitty's eyebrows knitted into a frown, and she laid down on her back and started pulling out cables from the shutter, examining them carefully. "Anyway. Forge said that he could like, teach me a few more things with the DR computer and maybe even Cerebro sometime. I mean it's not like I'm so big about the technology and stuff, but there are some awesome computers inside there and it would be like, so cool to learn how they function. I mean, not even the Pentagon – oh! I think I found the problem." She said and pulled out a small box, plugged with cables and wires. Rogue couldn't detect any wrong with it, but apparently Kitty did as she started fiddling with it.

"Hmm, Ah can imagine." Rogue mused in a jovial tone. "Forge and Kitty sitting together in a locked room, all alone, going through cables and plugs… I bet he's a good teacher." Rogue mocked in a teasing tone and grinned deviously. Kitty peered up from her work, a scowl gracing her facial expression.

"Seriously, Rogue." She said in a flat tone, looking disgusted. "It's just nice to talk to him, that's all. I haven't like, ever seen him look at a girl in _that_ way, much less talk to one like that. He's way too deep into his inventions and gizmos to notice." Her fingers pulled and planted cables and wires with deft movements, and she carried on in a more merry tone. "Speaking of which. That enemy you met at the mall…"

Rogue almost chocked, and was exceedingly happy that Kitty's focus was on the work in front of her.

"Why are yah askin' that? We weren't alone in a room together or anythin' like that." She stressed and felt a rising blush on her cheeks. Oh crap, why was she blushing now?

"I know that." Kitty said and frowned. "I meant speaking of _conversations_." She clarified and Rogue almost sighed in relief. Of course Kitty meant that, there was nothing suggesting that there was something between her and the swamp rat. Absolutely zilch, she determined and laughed, relieved. Just because he was making suggestions and flirted to the left and right, it didn't mean that was something between them. _There yah go, swampy. Crystal clear… Damn Cajun._

"Well?" Kitty inquired. "What did he want?"

"Want? Geez, Ah dunno. Mess with mah head?" Rogue suggested sardonically and scowled. She had asked him the very same question but he had danced around it like a cat around water. What had he wanted? Maybe it was the first step of an overly developed plan to screw the X-men over or something. Well, she didn't trust him an inch. He was a depraved, debauched, immoral, arrogant rat from the stinky swamps, and in desperate need of getting his ego deflated. She snickered. And he didn't look _that_ good. Sure, the hair had looked kind of sexy in a messy sort of way… And he had a nice frame too… And the eyes, they were downright sinfully beautiful. But otherwise he wasn't that good-looking, she decided. Well okay, maybe he was, but he was still annoying and arrogant, and definitely not worthy of her attention. Next time they met she was just going to ignore him. Maybe that would pop his overblown head.

»_Hmm, so you have already decided to meet him again_?« A voice in her head drawled, sounding very amused.

»_Oh, shush_« Suddenly she became aware that Kitty was looking at her intently, a small secretive smile playing on her lips.

"Thinking about Angel?" She asked suggestively. Rogue scoffed noncommittally. _No, Kitty, but thank yah for the distraction._ Warren was certainly the direct opposite of that insufferable Cajun. He was nice, sweet and funny. Didn't make her pissed off with lewd comments or sly smirks, didn't smoke, and they could have a perfectly normal conversation without her feeling sexually abused by appraising looks. No, she felt just fine with Warren. Comparing him with Gambit was like comparing and angel with the devil. _Which is not completely off the mark_, she thought dryly, thinking of their mutations. Angel wings and devil eyes, how poetic. And besides… Warren was just as hot as Gambit. Okay 'hot' maybe wasn't the right description. Maybe beautiful? Cute? Handsome? Angelic? Aw crap, she didn't know. However, what she did know was that every time his name was mentioned there was a delightful fluttering sensation in her stomach and a slight blush on her cheeks. Honestly, why did she feel that way? They were just friends… And why had she started to compare him with the swamp rat? Where did that come from?

"Rogue!" Kitty yelled. Rogue jumped, her reveries shattering to pieces and she looked at Kitty.

"What?"

"Geez, you were like totally zoning out. Called you six times but you were just all dreamy eyed." Rogue frowned.

"Ah was not."

"Yeah you were. Anyway, could you get me some adhesive?" She asked. Rogue raised an eyebrow critically.

"Yah're gonna fix the jet with adhesive?" She asked cynically.

"Sure, why not?" Kitty said lightly. "Could you get some?" Rogue grunted and went into the medical room in the back of the Blackbird.

It was a complete mess… Towels, blooded band-aids and surgical instruments all over the place. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. _Nice, people really clean up after themselves here_. She pulled out the first-aid kit and scrunched around for elastic therapeutic tape. She found a roll after a minute, but she noticed that the kit had a severe need for more supplies. _Another thing to fix_, she though wryly and went back to Kitty.

"Here yah go." She handed over the adhesive to the Valley girl. "The jet needs more first-aid supplies, so Ah'll just run over McCoy to get them." Kitty grunted in acknowledgement, already intent on her work with wires and everything.

Rogue ran over to the med-bay and collected a pile of band-aids, antibiotics and disinfectants, everything supplied by McCoy with a "Certainly, of course" and a big smile. He repeated the sentence so many times Rogue suspected he was on a sugar high from all his twinkies. She thanked him and headed back to the dock. On the way back a voice she could very much live without hearing called her in the hallway.

"Rogue!" Jean greeted her with a perfect smile, her pearly whites flashing flawlessly. Rogue scowled.

"Hello, Princess." She greeter her with an even tone. The smile turned downwards and a frowned marred Jeans perfectly plucked eyebrows.

"Rogue, I would appreciate if you didn't call me that. I'm not a princess." She chided gently and followed Rogue down the corridor.

"Why, sho' Princess." Rogue said with an undercurrent of sarcasm in her tone, and smirked scornfully. Jean's expression made it obvious that she didn't appreciate the taunts, but she didn't comment further on it. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Look, Princess, Ah'm busy right now so whatever yah want, spit it out."

"I just wanted inquire of how you felt Rogue. You have been in a very odd mood the past days." A concerned look fleeted over Miss Perfect's face. Rogue snickered.

"It's called being happy and contrary to popular belief, even Ah can be that." She commented in a sarcastic tone, and looked Jean in the eye. "So spare me the shrinking, yah're not a psychiatrist yet, Princess." But Jean's concerned look didn't disappear.

"Maybe not, but you know you could always come and talk to me if there's something troubling you."

Rogue mentally rolled her eyes. Yes, if there were any problems she was going to run to Jean and tell her all about it over a cup of tea and cry her heart out. They could even talk about boys and read the cosmopolitan together! Oh joy!

She snickered, feeling severely annoyed. Jean had a habit of always meddling in other's affairs. Why not pull her leg this time to make her stop it, once and for all?

"Well, there is one thing…" Rogue confessed gingerly, her tone serious and low-key. Jean leaned a bit closer, her eyes intently studying Rogue. _She bought it…_

"Yes?" She inquired, her voice dropping to the same low tone as Rogue, making it almost a whisper. Rogue licked her lips nervously and glanced to her sides before she leaned closer to Jean and whispered in her ear,

"Ah hear voices in mah head."

Jean let out a growl in frustration and threw her hands in the air.

"I can't believe you!" She exclaimed indignantly. Rogue chuckled behind a hand, clearly enjoying Jean's reaction. Oh, how fun it was to mess around with Miss Perfect.

"Stop it, Rogue." Jean ordered grudgingly. "Besides, it's not voices in your head, it's _psyches_. There's a difference." She continued matter-of-factly, as if Rogue needed a lesson. "Psyches are remnants of the people you have absorbed, and they're not telling you what to do like the voices in deranged people's head." Jean completely missed how Rogue's face suddenly darkened, not a trace of the previous mirth evident in her face. There was a pressed pause and Rogue clenched her jaw tightly.

"Haven't yah got someone else to shrink, Princess?" She asked furiously, though she tried to suppress her anger. "How about yer stick-in-the-ass husband of yours?"

"Rogue!" Jean stopped abruptly, and looked like _she_ was the insulted one. Rogue brushed pass her.

"Later." Was Rogue's only curt reply as she continued down the hall.

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Back at the Blackbird, Kitty had managed to fix the invisibility device and it was working perfectly now. Rogue was cleaning up the medical room when Logan walked into the jet in his usual gruff manners.

"Is the jet ready?" He asked in his normal brusque voice.

"Yup, everything's set." Kitty chirped happily. He nodded in acknowledgement as he looked around. Then his eyes fell on Rogue and something in his features shifted.

"Met a very upset Red on the way here." He stated in a slow, noncommittal voice. Rogue tensed slightly. "Did you have anything to do with it, Stripes?" She sniggered.

"Princess was just putting her nose where it didn't belong as usual... Ah will never understand what you see in her, Logan."

"Luckily, that's not a requirement for you. Just try not to upset her too much, okay?" Rogue veiled her eyes, tensing her jaw imperceptibly. Anger was bubbling beneath the surface, but she forced it down, trying to remain calm on the exterior. It had been Jean who had insulted her, not the other way around. But still everybody ran to the Princess's side to see if they could help _her_. Fine, whatever, not that she cared anyway.

"Hey, girl." Logan lifted her chin gently and looked her in the eye with such a tender expression she melted immediately, her anger passing by like sand through a fisted hand. "You okay?" He asked in a concerned voice. Rogue gave him a lopsided smile, already feeling calmer.

"Ah'm fahne, Logan. Don't worry none 'bout meh." She assured him softly. He grunted as a response and slid back to his usual stern face. Logan wasn't the one to linger in heart-warming situations for very long.

"So what did you need the jet for?" Kitty asked curiously.

"Mission." He answered curtly. "There's an ongoing fire in the central city." Concern latched onto the two girls' faces.

"What? Can we help somehow?" They asked in alarmed voices.

"No need. The Fire department has everything under control, and no one was harmed. Just need to go and investigate if there's anything suspicious going on." He explained. "Slim, Storm and Popsicle are here any second anyway. Don't need any more than that." Rogue nodded reluctantly, still wishing she could accompany him, but Logan seemed to be determined on this point. There just wasn't any idea trying to convince him otherwise when he looked like that, so she and Kitty exited the Blackbird.

»_Rogue, would you like to come by to my office for a moment. There is something I would like to discuss with you_.« The Professor's telepathic voice echoed in her mind.

»_Sure thing, Prof. On mah way_.« Rogue answered over the telepathic link. There was an equivalent of a nod sent through the link from the Professor before it was broken.

*

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Rogue actually felt a little nervous as she walked to the Professor's office.

_Stop it!,_ she berated herself. _You don't have anything to be worried about_.

But there was still a horrible nervousness pooling in her stomach, making her feel giddy all over. She balled her hands into fists to stop them from trembling. The reason to her anxiety was her past…

Rogue had decided long ago to bury her past and forget it forever. Therefore she never talked about it to anyone. She had become an expert to sidestep this particular subject, and people had simply stopped asking her about it after a while, because they knew she had no intentions of answering their questions. _Leave it left and buried…_

Now, she didn't believe that the Professor would try to read her mind, she didn't doubt him for a second. He had made a sacred promise to never, ever read other people's minds without their consent first. Rogue believed him, but the problem laid elsewhere. The problem was that the Professor wasn't just an exceptional omega-class telepath, but also incredibly perceptive person and he had an uncanny ability to read people. His powers were quite redundant when it came to reading people and their intents as he was already gifted with an extremely sharp mind, always analyzing and putting the pieces perfectly into a giant jigsaw puzzle. And to help, he had his many educations in Psychology. Heck, who needed telepathy with a mind like his? But that was the very reason why she was so nervous. He had probably already made some educated guesses of what her past looked like, but she didn't want to know none of it. Behind her strong mind walls she hoped dearly that this wasn't about her past.

She bit her lower lips nervously and was just about to knock on his door when he spoke up in a solemn voice,

"Come in, Rogue." Damn… She hated when he did that. Gingerly she opened the door and stepped in.

"Yah wanted to see meh, Professor?" She asked politely. He smiled and inclined his head.

"Yes, Rogue. Please have a seat." Rogue sat down on the chair opposite of him, his office desk between them. Her fingers immediately searched for something to fiddle with, but she forced them still.

"Is there something Ah can help yah with?" She asked after a small pause. He was still smiling, his eyes locked on hers with his usual soul-penetrating look. She doubted anything could get past that gaze.

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is." He said with a gentle tone. The Professor never raised his voice. "I'm a little concerned for you and your relation with Jean."

Oh, it was about _that_. Rogue wanted to sigh in relief and choke in annoyance at the same time, but she felt she wouldn't be able to pull it off without hurting herself, so she was satisfied with just frowning.

"What about it?" She asked, not completely succeeding in keeping away irritation from her voice at the mention of the red haired wonder. God, why was everyone so concerned for _her_? Wasn't like Rogue had permanently damaged her or anything…

"I know Rogue that you and Jean are not on the best of terms." He continued sombrely. "But I want you to understand that Jean is merely trying to help you." Rogue scoffed. Help her?

"Ah don't need any help, Professor." She stated firmly, her eyes looking straight forward.

"We all need help sometimes, Rogue." He said kindly and looked at her with sad eyes. Her head snapped up and she looked him deeply in the eye. Did he just _pity_ her? A well known anger started boil beneath the surface and traces of it infiltrated her voice.

"Well, Ah don't need any help from _her_!" She snapped, knowing that she was approaching dangerous territory now, but she couldn't contain herself, the anger was rising. "She is always trying to pry into mah business, always wondering how Ah feel and stuff. Well it _ain't_ her business, and it's damned annoying when she tries to 'understand'. How can she possibly understand how Ah feel? How can that prissy Miss Perfect understand how we mere 'mortals' feel?" She asked him, her voice slowly rising, traced with scorn. "She's fucking perfect, ain't she? Happy childhood, normal upbringing with loving parents. Perfect grades, top education and everyone loves her don't they? She even got a damn perfect husband to match! She has everything, but she looks past it every day, taking it for granted! How the fuck is she supposed to understand how Ah feel? How other flawed and broken people feel?"

"You think you are broken, Rogue?" The Professor asked in a quiet voice, his tone solemn. He had remained silent during her whole tirade, resting his elbows on his desk and hands knitted together in front of his face, studying her intently with his blue unreadable eyes. It wasn't until then Rogue realized that she was no longer sitting on her chair, but instead were standing in front of the desk and breathing heavily.

"That's not what Ah said." She said in a more constrained voice, trying vigorously to suppress her staggering rage. Crap, why could she never restrain her anger? Always losing control over that one, like it had a life of its own. Now she had probably said too much, started the turning of the cogwheels in the Professor's analyzing mind. Why oh why couldn't she just shut up at times like this? She had definitely stepped over a line here.

She sat down on the chair again and concentrated her breathing, trying to slow its pace to a more normal one.

"That's not what Ah said." She repeated, but now in a quieter voice. "All Ah'm trying to say is that Jean can't possibly understand the feelings of people that never had everything she had. What does she really know about misery? Her entire upbringing has always been filled with joy and love. Even you, Professor, have contributed to this."

"Do you fault her for her happiness?"He asked, his expression still remaining unreadable. Rogue didn't look him in the face, but kept her eyes lowered.

"No." She whispered after a while. "It's just that… She's taking it all for granted, doesn't she? Every touch, every kiss and every joyful moment. All for granted. How can she possibly understand meh when she does that? She'd have to be a bit more appreciative for everything she has before she even _tries_ to talk to meh…"

Only silence met her and she dared to look up at the Professor for a fleeting moment, seeing his exceptionally blue eyes in a quick flash. Biting her lip and clenching her hands, she silently wondered if she had gone too far this time. Jean was after all his favourite student, more than that, she was like a daughter to him. And here Rogue sat and poured out how awful and incompetent she thought Jean was. In front of her very protective guardian. Oh shit… Did he think she had stepped over a line? Was she getting punished now? Cursing herself and her unruly temper, she waited in silence for the judgement.

What felt like an eternity, but most likely only was a few passing moments, the Professor sighed… Sighed? Was that a good thing?

"Rogue." He began in a sympathetic voice. "I agree with you that Jean has indeed had a very comfortable life, and it could make it look quite improbable that she would be able to understand other's sufferings. But you must see that Jean is very keen to try and understand, regardless of her own background. With time and experience, understanding will come to her. Meanwhile she needs to gather that experience by listening." He gave her a small smile. "Jean might be an adult now, but in this field she is still a novice."

Rogue blushed faintly, feeling a bit ashamed of herself now that her temper had cooled. She shouldn't have erupted like she did, and she shouldn't definitely have sworn so badly. But the Professor didn't comment though on this small misstep, like he usually did when someone cussed.

"I am not requesting that you should try and be friends with her, Rogue, or that you should tell her about all your life's problems. I only ask of you to please, be a little more patient with her. She means well." Rogue nodded slowly, the corners of her mouth curling up to a small, shy smile. Sure, she could cut the Princess some slack. It would take a bit of effort, but for the Professor, she would try. He had asked her so nicely and all.

"Sho' Professor. Ah'll try and be nice." She promised and smiled softly. He returned the smile with a heart-warming one of his own.

"Thank you, Rogue. It is much appreciated." He thanked her, and she bobbed her head in acknowledgement. "Now for another matter entirely. I just had a call from young Warren."

A flutter in her stomach and a pink blush on her cheeks betrayed her sudden embarrassment. Holy crap, did everyone knew her feelings for Warren now? Well, if he didn't before he must certainly do now when he saw her react like that.

Hold on. Backtrack. What _were_ her feelings for Warren? Even she didn't know… She really needed to clear her head, the confusion was quite prominent in her mind even without the help of the psyches. She looked out of the window to hide her reeling emotions. The Professor didn't seem to notice, or he chose to ignore it, as he continued.

"He called regarding his arrival and he enlightened me of~" He started but the rest of his speech was all a blur in the periphery of Rogue's mind as she spotted something through the window. Outside of the gates of the mansion on the road, she saw a black car. It was too far away for her to discern anything distinctive about it, but she stared at it expectantly, her breath caught in her throat as it approached the mansion. Her hand gripped the armrest tightly and she fixed her eyes on the car. Could it be…?

When the car got closer she noticed the length of it. It wasn't a car, it was a limousine and on the side of it there was an insignia resembling a big 'W'. She jumped out of her chair like she had been electrocuted and turned to the Professor who had apparently been talking all the while, but stopped himself when she had jumped.

"Rogue?" He asked in a concerned voice, a slight crinkle between his eyebrows.

"Angel." She said breathlessly. "Angel is here."

The telepath's gaze travelled to the window and he looked outside on the courtyard. When he recognised the Worthington insignia on the limousine, the crinkle between his eyebrows deepened. He opened his mouth to say something but Rogue interrupted him.

"Ah'm gonna go and meet him. We can talk later, right?" Before he even had the chance to blink, she ran out of the room without waiting for his answer.

She ran down the corridors with a huge grin on her face, her pulse raised and adrenaline infused. Her mind was all a jumble and there was a delightful flutter in her stomach. On the way she ran into Kitty who looked at her, confused.

"Rogue?" She asked worriedly. "What happened?" Rogue's breathe was heavy after her sudden sprint and she pointed out the window down to the driveway. When Kitty saw the object of her excitement, she grinned.

"Oh, Warren's here." A slight frown. "But why did he take the car?"

"Ah don't know. Maybe he has become a little lazy in old days?" Rogue suggested jovially and laughed. "Ah'm gonna run down and meet him. See yah later, Kit!"

"Sure, see you!" Kitty called after her as Rogue ran down the stairs.

When she got outside she slowed her pace down to a slow walk. She didn't want to look _too_ excited after all. The black limo parked on the driveway, in the shadow of one of the mansion's large statues. Her breath was caught in her throat as Warren stepped out of the car. She had almost forgotten how beautiful he looked, with his majestic white wings, the blonde hair and broad chiselled face. When he saw her, he smiled warmly and crossed the distance between them to greet her. A pair of strong arms enveloped her in a friendly hug.

"Hello, Rogue." He greeted her and Rogue felt her heart miss a beat, at the sound of his rich voice.

"Hello Angel." She replied and grinned broadly. "Taking the car now, huh? Getting old and too stiff to use your wings or what?" She quipped cheerfully and jabbed him lightly on the shoulder. He laughed heartily and held his shoulder in a mocking show of pain.

"Not yet I haven't!" He grinned. Rogue paused and took a second to absorb the moment; the pearly whites he flashed in a perfect smile, his blonde almost white hair glistening in the sun and his sparkling blue eyes. God, wasn't he a sight? "There's someone I'd like you to meet, Rogue."

"Huh?" Rogue asked stupidly, completely zoned out by the sight in front of her. A detached smile on her lips, her gaze followed Angel as he went back to the car and opened the door.

What she first saw was a pair of high heeled female shoes emerge from the darkness of the car, followed by a pair of mile long, slender legs and the tip of a black dress. Rogue frowned in confusion as she saw the dress continue up, encompassing a pair of slender hips, narrow waist and ample breasts. Strands of purple hair concealed the collar bones and chest, framing a perfect face with subtle hints of an Asian complex. The perfectly painted lips curled up in a small smile and made the purple eyes glisten. Angel stretched out a helpful hand.

_Psylocke_.

Behind the torrent of confusion inside Rogue, there was a drop of trepidation that started to grow at a rapid pace.

Psylocke accepted his hand gratefully and awarded him with a brilliant smile. There was something that passed between them as their eyes locked. Maybe a feeling or a secret that only they felt and knew. But it made them smile in unison, like a pair in complicity. For one slow and torturous moment, their smiles drew near and met, evolving into a passionate kiss. Her arms encircled his neck and his encircled her waist, their bodies pressing close to deepen the kiss.

Rogue's eyes widened, a feeling of numbness spreading in her body faster than ink in water.

After an eternity the pair broke apart and looked at each other with a loving smile. Angel turned to Rogue, a lingering impression of affection in his face.

"Rogue, I'd like you to meet my new girlfriend, Elizabeth."

_Girlfriend_…

The expression registered in her mind, but for some reason…

Somehow,

Somewhere,

In the deepest of corners inside of Rogue,

Something broke.

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**A/N; **Come on.

Admit it.

You were starting to fear that this really was a Rangel story, right? Rangel… ? Rarren? Wagoue? Oh my god, there just even a decent name for it. But I suppose that's only fitting. I know a lot of you thought that Rogue and Warren were gonna get together and then Remy would try to break them apart or something in this story, but sorry, no. I'm not that nice. I have completely different plans in mind *evil laugh*.

Once again I thought I would update much sooner, but when I finally sat down this weekend to write I got an e-mail from my physics teacher, saying that I had to re-do one of the reports I had sent in, otherwise I would fail the course.

My reaction to this; "…….No waaaaaay!"

He is not my favourite person right now. Anyway I fixed it, but it left me less time to write. But now I'm finished for the summer! Finally! I have nothing more to do! I can write whenever I want now, hahahaha! *crazy laugh*

Favourite quotes this chapter;

Kitty; "Oh fiddlesticks… It's pink!"

Rogue; "Ah hear voices in mah head."

Thank you thank you thank you thank you for all the reviews! I love you guys *tearful smile*. And if you wonder I'm a bit weird now, I blame the sugar and caffeine high.

Next chapter; Chapter 9 "… A Liberation of Darkness Awaits"

And please review *puppy eyes*

Hugs,

//Fahne


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**; A tip, in the _first part_ of this chapter I had the song "Don't Forget Me" by Way out West on repeat, in the background. Look it up on youtube, it's a really good song!

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_Chapter Nine_

**…A Liberation of Darkness Awaits**

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Numb.

She felt numb. Like the world was moving too fast and she couldn't keep up with it. Signals kept firing away from her brain, but they went unanswered. The sensation blocked every thought and every other emotion in her mind, and she was left standing still. Angel and Psylocke's backs were perfectly framed in her field of vision, as the couple walked towards the mansion. Something had just happened, but she couldn't tell what. In the blink of an eye, the world had gone alien to her and she didn't know how to process it.

Kitty ran across the lawn, her brown ponytail bobbing and flowing in the wind. She stopped short just before Rogue, her face contorted into one of worry and apprehension.

"Rogue?" She asked gingerly, trying to make eye contact with her. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Rogue answered automatically, her voice thin and hollow in her own ears. "Ah'm fahne." A pause lengthened between them. Kitty frowned worriedly, her eyes searching for something in Rogue's face. Rogue however, stared out in thin space, unable to look Kitty in the eyes. None of them knew what had just happened, but the question hung in the air, prodding them with its existence. For a moment Rogue closed her eyes, and just listened to her own breathing. Slowly, the numbing feeling loosened the hold of her, and let her ability to move creep back into her limbs.

"Ah'm-" There was a slight hitch in her voice, and she cleared her throat to remove it. "Ah'm gonna go back inside. The others are probably waiting for meh." Rogue sidled pass Kitty without a single glance at her friend.

Inside the introductions had already begun. It was customary between mutants to display their powers on the first meeting, to establish a sense of identity and common bond. So when the Professor introduced each and every of the present X-men to Psylocke, they gave a small demonstration of their powers. Apparently, Psylocke had already been introduced to everyone, because in her right hand she held her red glowing katana. Rogue gave it a fleeting glance before she joined the other X-men.

"…this is Alison Blaire, also called Dazzler…" The Professor introduced. A small orb of light appeared before Alison, dancing around in the air while changing to different colours at a rapid pace.

"…Laura Kinney with the codename X-23…" SNIKT! Laura's adamantium claws shot out of her hands and feet. Rogue entwined her fingers behind her back and silently waited for her turn.

"…Ray Crisp as Berzerker…" Lightning crackled from the tip of his fingers, an eerie blue glow emitting from the discharge. Rogue peered at Angel through her eyelashes. He was smiling the same brilliant smile he always wore, curiously following the introductions with his glinting blue eyes, despite the fact that he already knew them all. Rogue bit her lip as something pulsed through her entire body, making her skin prickle on the back of her neck.

"…Amara Quilla… called Magma…" The Professor's voice trailed away in the periphery of her mind. The same numbing feeling started to return, but this time it was accompanied by a slight tension inside of her. She held her breath.

"…Hank McCoy…doctor…Beast…" God, what was happening to her? The slight tension started to slowly build up. She didn't like the straining feeling, and she aggressively tried to counter it. It hurt.

"…Kurt…as…crawler…" She closed her eyes. A faint sound of pattering feet made her aware that Kitty had went inside to join them, but she didn't react to her friend's presence. How could she? Her mind was too busy suppressing the oncoming feelings that welled inside of her. A small glance at Angel. She had to admit it. Behind the sensation of being turned to stone, there was something more. Her feelings for Angel stretched further than the common affection for a friend. It was quavering and undefined, but it was there. Something Rogue had never felt before, and the arrival of Psylocke had made her come to face it. It had made her realize that there was something more… But _what_ exactly?

"…Tabitha…Boom Boom…" A crush? Was that it? It would make sense…A stupid crush. But now that Angel was together with someone else, she could just _forget_ her feelings and leave them far behind. Everything could go back to normal, a perfect solution. Nothing amiss. It all would be as it should be. The Rogue couldn't afford crushes. Romance just wasn't in the cards for her. And then, little by little, the tension eased and she could let go of her breath. Back to normal… But why then… Why did it still hurt?

"…and this is Rogue…" Her name spoken out loud made Rogue snap out of her reveries. She looked at the Professor inquiring, who only smiled at her, kindly. Oh, right. The demonstration of her powers. The tension inside her started to mount once again. Her gaze fell on Psylocke, who observed her with what seemed like polite curiosity. Swallowing, she set her focus inwards to find the right psyche. Two seconds later and with a tap of her senses, her hand started to glow red. With a heated flash of light, a katana extended from her hand, identical to the one Psylocke had been holding not a moment before. With an unusually lack of feeling, Rogue explained.

"With a touch Ah steal your powers, your memories and your life energy." The radiant katana disappeared from her hand, and she met Psylocke's frozen stare. "You could say Ah steal yoah soul."

An awkward silence followed the last of her words.

Rogue had a habit of talking about her powers in a very blunt way, so it hadn't been that which had made everyone go silent. It had been to the fact that Rogue had chosen Psylocke's own powers as demonstration. With one simple act she had driven home her point with an astute accuracy. No one could hold anything sacred when it came to Rogue. She took everything, whether she wanted to or not. It was a crude lesson to learn at a first meeting, but Rogue was unaware of it in her inner chaos of disordered emotions. Outwards she looked calm and ignorant to everyone's surprise, borderline apathetic. What they didn't know was that she still tried to suppress her flooding emotions, battling for understanding of herself.

Psylocke's frozen features shifted, and became unreadable. Through Rogue's unrelenting pandemonium, she could feel someone prod her outermost mind defences, searching and exploring. Her walls stood firm.

»_Comes with your telepathy, sugah_« Rogue projected to Psylocke, her voice slightly coated with an amusement she didn't really feel. Even her telepathic voice had a hollow clang, but she hoped it went unnoticed. Psylocke narrowed her eyes slightly, and stitched a faint smile on her face.

"I don't remember to have met you before, luv." She stated with a polite tone in her voice. "Much less have been touched by you."

"Ah'm not surprised yah don't remember." Rogue said in a low-key tone, her fingers fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt. "It was on a Christmas party a few years ago, and Ah went along with the Professor. Ah slipped and touched your wrist for a fraction of a second and absorbed yah. You probably only felt a faint dizziness, too insignificant to be worth remembering."

An ephemeral silence. Then a nod from the purple-haired telepath. When it was clear that it was the only response Rogue would get, she reverted inwards to dwell in the world of her mind again. The Professor continued the introductions as if nothing significant had happened. Rogue didn't look, but she could feel Psylocke's lingering gaze on her before it turned away.

When the all the introductions were finished, they set out to the Rec Room. Rogue followed without thinking, but she was stopped short when Kitty laid a hand on her arm.

"Rogue-" Kitty cautioned.

"Ah'm fahne." Rogue stated firmly and shrugged off her hand. Without another word she left Kitty, to join the others.

Really. She was fine. _It's only a stupid crush, nothing else, _she thought stubbornly. It was an obstinate streak of hers to sit down among the others, feigning indifference. _See, Ah'm fahne. I can handle this._ Angel and Psylocke sat down on the love seat and snuggled up against each other, exchanging a small tender smile. Rogue's throat constricted but she did her best to ignore it. Push back the feelings. Push back the pain and erase the bitter taste on her tongue. She was _fahne_. But still, the tension inside of her started to mount.

"So how did you guys meet?" Alison asked with a dreamy look in her eyes. A small twitch in Rogue's face, a pinch in her heart. Tension building. _It's only a crush, a stupid crush_.

"Well…" Angel smiled. "There was this charity party, and we both were invited."

"Was it love at first sight?" Rahne asked with wide eyes. Surging feelings. Painful breaths. Biting her lip, Rogue tried to push it far, far away in her mind. She was _fahne_.

The pair chuckled good-humouredly. The conversation continued but Rogue didn't listen. All she could think about was Angel, his smile, the hand he held over Psylocke's, the slow circular movements he did with his thumb over the her skin. That look he had in his face when he looked down at her. He had never looked at Rogue like that. He had never… There was much he had never done with Rogue. They'd always been just friends. Talking. Laughing. But never…

The tension inside her came to a breaking point. Pain, pain, pain, pain. She tried to deny it. Tried to smother it. Tried to kill it. And that alien feeling she hated so much. It was invading her, sipping through every pore of her skin, coursing through every vein of her body. He was with Psylocke. He was with someone else. That tender loving smile… It was for her. Not for Rogue. Because…

Something inside her snapped. Abruptly, she stood up.

"Ah'm sorry, Ah don't feel so good." She mumbled in excuse. "Just gonna go out and get some fresh air." Calmly, she walked out of the room, hardly anybody noticing her exit. When she had finally gotten out of sight from everybody, she increased her pace to a light jog. The jog soon erupted to a run, and then into a full blown sprint. Get away, away, away! Why couldn't the feelings just disappear? Why couldn't she just stop feeling? Away, away from it all. Something had broken. _Deny it_. There was pain. _Ignore it_. It hurt. _No_. She felt. _No!_

"Rogue!" Kitty called after her, but she ignored it and continued to run. "Rogue!" Where was she going? She didn't know. She didn't care. Just away from _there_. From him.

Without any intentions she had somehow ended up in the women's wing of the mansion. Rogue quickly ran into her room and closed the door behind her. Breathing heavily, she looked at the door, hoping it would stay closed. Hoping that she could shut out the world and leave those cursed feelings behind her. Walking backwards, she felt the edge of her bed dig into her calves, and she sat with her eyes still on the door. It only took a few seconds before Kitty phased through the door. Her gaze fell on Rogue, filled with such sorrow.

"Oh, Rogue." She whispered. Rogue twitched.

"Ah'm fahne, Kitty." She said reassuringly with a conviction she didn't own. "It was just… About Angel. It was just a stupid crush. Nothing to be hanged up about." But that sad look didn't leave the Valley girl's face. She didn't believe Rogue, she wasn't fooled by her brave words. Inexplicably, Rogue felt that she had to somehow manage to convince Kitty of its authenticity, to make it come true. If Kitty somehow believed her, everything she said would be real. She would be fine. Call it a trick of her mind, but that is what she thought.

"Ah'm telling yah, Kitty. Ah'm fahne." She stressed, with a small quiver in her voice. Chuckling, she stretched out her hands. "Ah'm just surprised Angel hadn't found anyone before. Girls are probably throwing themselves at him all the time, with his high standing and all." Sad, brown eyes watched her intently, piercing through her barriers. Swallowing, Rogue tried again but with a more steady voice.

"Kitty, Ah'll only say this once. It was a _crush_. But he has found someone else now, and Ah'll just have to get over it, okay?" She hoped her voice sounded as calm and assuring as she had aimed for. But no matter what she said, she couldn't make the sadness leave Kitty's eyes.

"I don't think it was a crush, Rogue." She whispered tenderly. Rogue blinked in surprise.

"Not a crush…? What? What else could it be?" Then it struck her, a realization that made all her strings chime in infuriation. "Yah mean like…Yah mean love? That Ah love Angel?" She laughed a rich sardonic laugh, her tone suddenly laden with bitter venom. "Love? Ah don't believe in love. What, you think Ah broke mah heart when Ah saw them? Get real, Kitty. This is not one of your stupid chick flicks!" The moments she uttered the last sentence, she immediately regretted it. Hurting Kitty was the last thing she wanted to do, but she couldn't find it in her to take the words back. Despite the harshness of them, it was something about them that rang true in her mind. Fortunately, Kitty didn't take them to heart as she continued.

"No, Rogue. That's not what I meant." Rogue looked at her with a genuine confusion, the sarcasm in her tone rapidly fading away.

"Ah don't understand. What are yah trying to say?" She asked in puzzlement. Kitty continued, her eyes never leaving Rogue's face.

"I don't think you loved him. Not in that way at least. Maybe as a friend but not in _that_ way." She paused, a small tragic smile tugging the corners of her mouth. Rogue looked at her, perplexed. "No, that's not what I meant. What I think is… I think you hoped. You hoped Angel would be the one. The first to look past your mutation and see the girl behind it." She kneeled down to slid into Rogue's direct line of sight. "When you first arrived at the mansion you were so lost, so uncomfortable with people and yourself. He was the first one who actually tried to connect with you, despite the cold attitude you showed everyone. He unmasked the coldness and revealed that you were just scared and lonely... I think it was then you started to hope. Hope that even though you couldn't touch, you could still have a future with someone. That you didn't have to spend your life in loneliness." Kitty's voice broke, and one single tear slid down her cheek. With a trembling voice she continued, "That despite the harshness and cruelty you have experienced in life, there was a light at the end of that long dark tunnel. That despite you were the untouchable girl who couldn't talk about her past, even you could be loved by someone. That even you could find someone who truly cared for you." A sob escaped her and her lower lip quivered. "I think that Angel was your beacon of hope. But when you saw him with Psylocke, your hope and your faith for a better life, shattered. And I- I helped you build that hope." Here Rogue shot up from the bed to embrace her friend tightly, feeling hot tears prick her own eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Kitty sobbed. "I saw your happiness the past days, and I thought finally, _finally_. You had let yourself hope. And I encouraged you, didn't I? I encouraged you to hope, to try and live regardless of your mutation. But now it is all to ruin. He chose someone else, and left you bereft of hope. And I can't help but to think, if I hadn't-"

"Shhh." Rogue hushed her. "I started hoping long before you came into the picture, Kit. It wasn't your fault, you had nothing to do with it. Ah'm… Ah'm just not meant to be loved. With mah skin mutation it's impossible. And it might hurt now, but sooner or later Ah will come to terms with it. Ah will get past it." Their embrace tightened and Kitty continued to whisper apologies in her hair, saying how sorry she was and how she regretted she had meddled in.

Rogue felt it like knives stabbing her heart. It hadn't been Kitty's fault. It was she who had been a fool to hope. What Kitty had said was true. Angel had been her hope. Her way out of this miserable road she was walking. He had made her heart lighten and flutter at the promise of being loved, of spending the rest of her life with someone she cared for. He had made it look so awfully real when he had smiled at her. And like a fool walking into a trap of her own, she was caught in that beautiful, beautiful lie.

It had been foolish. She was untouchable, how had she even dared to hope someone could see past that? Now she had to harvest the fruits of her labour. A shattered hope. A bitter, acid disappointment. This is what she deserved for her idiocy.

The road ahead of her was suddenly clear. Never, never again would she dare to hope like she had done. Never again… The ways to light was shut. Barred. She had to come to terms with it, because there was no going back now. And yet, she found herself in want to grieve for one last time. Grieve for a future that never would be hers.

"Kit?" She whispered with a course voice. "Will yah do something for meh?"

"Anything, Rogue." Came the muffled response. Rogue hesitated for a moment, but decided.

"Ah… Ah don't know how to cry." Under her breath, she whispered. "Will you cry for meh?"

Hazel eyes met emerald.

Crystal tears dropped.

A whisper, barely audible.

"Sure, Rogue. I will cry for you."

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It was a silent morning. The halls were quiet, devoid of the usual chattering and bantering from the inhabitants of the mansion. Outside there was no birds singing. The sky was in a gloomy grey shade, but there was no thunder. And yet, Rogue had woken up by something. She couldn't tell what it was, but there had been _something_. Gingerly, she opened her eyes to the grey light and took a deep breath. No, she couldn't say what it had been, so she shrugged and got out of bed to get ready for a new day. She took a quick shower and brushed her teeth. When she was dressed and ready she went down to the kitchen for breakfast.

The kitchen was buzzing with sound from the early morning people. Logan, Storm, Scott, Bobby, Jean, Evan and Kurt were there, consuming their pancakes at an alarming rate.

Angel and Psylocke were also there. Rogue stopped midstep, looking at them hesitantly.

"Rogue, good morning." Storm greeted her gently and smiled. "Have a seat." She gestured at one of the chairs. Feeling that it was too late now to escape, Rogue sat down on the chair Storm had inclined to. Bobby, who was in charge of the today's breakfast, tossed a pancake in the air with a flip of the frying pan.

"Next pancake to you, Rogue." He chimed cheerfully and smiled at her. She was only able to produce a meek little turn in one corner of her mouth in return, but Bobby didn't seem to notice her lack of enthusiasm.

"Hey, what about me?" Evan asked indignantly. Bobby scoffed at him.

"Ladies first." He said firmly and flipped the pancake again, letting the frying butter splatter around him, some of it landing on Evan's back. A small fight erupted between them, until Logan growled threateningly. He wasn't famous for being cheerful in the morning either. The boys stopped abruptly, but glowered at each other. With a deft flick of his wrist, Bobby tossed the pancake flying, making it land squarely on Rogue's plate. She raised an eyebrow.

"Been practising that one, huh?" She asked him. He grinned in response and started on the next pancake. Rogue poked the pancake the pancake with her fork and took a small bite of it. For some reason, the usually very good tasted pancake, tasted like ashes this morning.

"Are you all right Rogue?" Kurt asked her with a concerned voice. Rogue nodded and gave him a quick smile before returning to her breakfast. Something was stirring in her mind, but she didn't take much notice of it. It took her whole concentration ability to chew the dry pancake in her mouth. At the other end of the table Psylocke whispered something in Angel's ear , her voice too low for Rogue to distinguish what she said, and they both chuckled. She twitched involuntarily and swallowed the pancake. Something was different today. But just like this morning, she couldn't determine what it was. There was… something missing?

The murmurs from the couple reached Rogue's ears and even with the low obscure sound she could hear the love in their voices. A bitter feeling pulsated through Rogue's entire being.

Not for her.

She averted her eyes from the sight. But even in the periphery of her field of vision she could see them exchange tender kisses.

It was then the pain in her head exploded like a blazing fire. For two panicking seconds, realization struck her like a sledgehammer. Her mind walls were gone and the psyches were loose in her head. When she had least expected it they had broken down her defences and unleashed themselves on her emotions. The pain was searing through her and she let out a soft whimper. Logan's super hearing caught the sound immediately and his head snapped up.

"Stripes?" He asked, alarmed. Rogue pinched her eyes shut and shook her head. A low wheezing sound came out of her clenched teeth and she bit her lip.

"Ah'm fahne. Just a sudden headache."

The psyches ravaged and pulled in her mind, drinking in her pain and sorrow. They laughed, they cried, they screamed, feeling alive for the first time in what felt like a century for them. But it was hurting Rogue and she tried to calm them, to make them stop.

»_Stop it, please! Ah beg you, it hurts! Please_« But her plea was ignored and the psyches continued. Gritting her teeth she tried to push them away to the back of her mind. But they remained unrelenting. This was their revenge for being coped up for so long. Now they were going to feast on her painful memories so that they could strengthen the illusion that they were _alive_. Rogue shook her head forcibly.

"Ah'm gonna go and get some painkillers. Boy, this is really killing meh." She tried to make her voice sound light and humoristic, but she had a feeling that she failed miserably. The need to quickly escape the other's concerned expression was overwhelming and she hurriedly excused herself and left the kitchen. Instead of going to the medbay like she said, she ran up to her room and slammed the door behind her. The pain was blinding, and in her temporary blindness she knocked something down on the floor with a crash. Falling to her knees, she tried to push away the oncoming nausea.

A sudden gasp came from somewhere behind her, revealing the presence of an alarmed Kitty who had just phased through the wall to see what had caused the loud noise.

"Rogue!" Kitty exclaimed and fell down at her side.

"Oh gawd… Kitty…" Rogue's voice was course and cracked from the pain that coursed through her body.

"What? What happened?" Kitty's voice was loud and shrill in alarm. Rogue winced to the sound, but that only caused another wave of nauseating pain to overwhelm her. She coughed and wheezed in struggling breathes.

"The psyches… Ah can't…"She coughed again. "Gawd, it hurts!"

"Okay, okay let me help you." Rogue felt Kitty grab her arm and carefully helped her up on her feet. Slowly she was guided to her bed, where she laid down under the covers. A film of sweat was forming on her forehead. A few salty drops found their way between her eyelids and made her eyes itch. Through the haze of her vision she could render a diffuse figure standing over her, with a worried frown.

"Rogue, like tell me what to do 'cause I don't know what to do! Shall I call the Professor or shall I get doctor McCoy or like anyone else?" Even through the mist of pain, the alarm in Kitty's voice was acute. Rogue shook her head.

"No, no. They can't help meh. Have tah wait until it passes. Will yah explain t' the teachers that Ah can't go to school 'cause of sickness?" She murmured, her accent even more pronounced than usual. Kitty gave her gloved hand a light squeeze in acknowledgement.

"Sure, Rogue, I can do that."

"Thanks, Kit." Rogue gave her a faint smile.

"Will you be all right?"Kitty wondered worriedly, and stroked some of the sweat off of Rogue's face with the bed sheets, careful not to touch her bare skin.

"Yeah, Ah'll be fahne. Yah hafta go tah school now, or you'll be late."Rogue assured her, her voice growing more faint and weak by the second.

"Okay." Kitty hesitated. "Are you sure I can't get you anything?"

"Ah'm sure. Just need some time. Don't worry 'bout meh."The murmurs were barely audible now. Though Kitty wasn't entirely convinced, she let it go. Rogue had closed her eyes and didn't see Kitty cast one last worried look before she stood up to go.

"Okay then. See you after school."

"See yah, Kit." When Kitty had phased through the wall and was out of hearing range, Rogue let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She cursed as the hurtful spikes of pain took hold over her body once again.

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When Kitty got back from school, Rogue was still in a great deal of pain. It was coming in unrelenting waves, blazing and searing her mind. Feeling like her head would split in half, all Rogue could do was lie in bed and endure. When the time lengthened to days, Kitty's anxiety escalated. But Rogue forbade her to explain the full situation to the others, insisting that that the pain would pass by itself. Fortunately, the X-men were pulled out in missions so frequently at the time, no one had the time to check up on Rogue, beside Kitty.

She was glad that no one saw her in her vulnerable state. It was not uncommon for her to sometimes relapse into such a weak state because of her psyches. But this time, the pain had been taken to a whole new level, and Rogue was left so exhausted she couldn't even stand on her own legs. It was Kitty who brought her food and water when she could. Without her, Rogue would certainly have starved on her own.

But the pain also disturbed her sleep. It was shattered and fragmented as the psyches onslaught continued. She lost track of time and slept whenever she could, whether it be day or night. It was on one of those days when she slept during the late afternoon hours, after being bed tied for three days, she heard a knock on the door. Kitty never knocked, she just phased through the walls, so Rogue knew instinctively that it was not her. Crap, she didn't want anyone to see her in her present state. Her powers had always been something that brought out pity from many people, and she _hated_ it. She didn't want anyone's pity, she didn't _need_ their pity. Taking great care to make herself somewhat presentable, wiping the sweat off her face and arrange her dishevelled hair, she hoped that she wouldn't look too bad. With one last try to push away the pain, and ultimately failing, she called out.

"Who is it?" Even in her own ears her voice sounded cracked and course after days of disuse. The door opened slightly, and through the opening Rogue could see Warren, his face marred with worry.

"Hey, Rogue." He greeted her and let himself into her room. Rogue could feel her pulse quicken, singing beneath the porcelain white of her skin. Of all the people she didn't want to see right now, Warren ranked number one by far.

"I've missed you my friend." He smiled and fell on his knees beside her bed. "Kitty told me you've got the flu or something. How are you feeling?" Rogue tried to swallow down a dry lump in her throat, and gave him a faint smile, ignoring the stir in her mind as the psyches started to pick up on her feelings again.

"Ah'm fahne. Just a slight cold, 's all. Yah know how sensitive us southerners can be 'bout the temperature, 'specially up here." He chuckled and laid his hand on her gloved one. With effort, Rogue suppressed the instinct to snatch her hand away.

"Oh, I know. Still can't forget that winter when you sneezed your brains out for a whole month." He said teasingly, and laughed. With the blazing pain in her head, Rogue only managed a small twitch in the left corner of her mouth as a smile.

"Oh, come on Warren. Be nice to meh." She chided, and hoped he didn't see the film of perspiration that was forming in her face as she struggled to ignore the pain. "Otherwise Ah hafta knock yah out cold to teach yah some manners."

"Hmm" He hummed, ignorant of her inner torment. "I bet you would. But it's always nice to see you smile." And there it was. That smile that always left her feeling a little weak in the knees, now brought Rogue into a new dimension of pain. No longer able to ignore the onslaught in her head, she stopped listening to Warren as he carried on talking about something, and tried to overcome it. Clenching her jaw, she stubbornly refused to give in to the pain. But it was too much, it blinded her and made her limbs go weak. The presence of Angel had only worsened her condition, and now she was afraid she couldn't stand this heightened torment.

"Rogue?" Warren asked, with an undercurrent of confusion in his voice. "Are you okay?" Rogue was trembling something terrible from the effort of not screaming, and her eyes were closed shut.

"Please." The whisper was barely audible but Angel picked up the acuteness in her voice. The trembling got worse.

"Rogue, what's happening?" He asked, alarm creeping into his tone. She shook her head.

"No… no, no, no! Please… Warren." Tears of pain rolled down her cheeks, mixing with glistening pearls of sweat.

"Please what? Rogue, tell me what's going on!" He demanded, streaks of fear and trepidation in his tone. The torment and chaos was mounting, and Rogue almost lost grip of reality.

"Go! Yah hafta go!" She met his worried gaze, her eyes pleading him to submit to her request. But he didn't yield. His great white wings extended as far as the room allowed, and he grabbed her upper arms to hold the eye contact with her.

"What? Go? You have to tell me what's going on, otherwise I can't help you!" She didn't know if he had done it intentionally, but when he had his wings extended so far, the effect was him towering over her to such a degree that she felt a little nervous. But she didn't budge, and she tried in vain to struggle out of his grip.

"Please, Warren. Ah beg you. Just _go_!" Panic was starting to show on her features as the psyches tore and ripped her mind apart. She threw her head back and whimpered.

"I can't leave you now, Rogue! Just tell what's wrong so I can help you!"

"Yah can't help meh. So go, Ah beg you, go!" Tears rolled down her cheeks, and a overwhelming nausea made her stomach turn.

"But-"

"_GO_!" She screamed on top of her lungs. He couldn't understand what he had done wrong, or what was wrong with her, but he all the same escaped from the room in a hazy white blur. With the last of her strength, Rogue ran to the bathroom and vomited into the sink. Heaving and coughing, she effectively disposed all of her stomach's content. When she was finished, she was exhausted and weak, but she cleaned up the mess after herself. She staggered back into her room, but when the last of her strength sapped out of her body, she collapsed on the floor and let darkness take over.

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It was a small whisper in her mind that finally woke her up.

»_Look at you_.«

She snapped her eyes open and was met by her reflection in the mirror. Her whole body ached, and it felt liked she had been lying on the floor for hours. Groaning, she inspected her reflection. Dishevelled hair, pale in the face, puffy eyes. A ghost. She looked like a faint ghost of her former self. The voice in her head laughed menacingly, his voice mocking and scornful.

»_Look at the poor little crippled girl. Can't even stand, can she?_« She scowled at the ridicule in his words, and she flexed her fingers, trying to get a sense of feeling back in them.

»_Did that awful blond angel break your heart, crippled one? Did he now?_« Rogue tried to ignore the derisive ghost in her mind, and made an attempt to stand.

»_Crippled heart, crippled life. You will never be loved by anyone. _Untouchable!_ There will never be anyone who will accept you, and you will never experience the joys of motherhood_.« The words cut through her heart like hot knives, but she tried to ignore the heartache it brought and pushed her hands against the floor to get up. But the effort was too great and her joints doubled beneath her.

»_Lost and lonely forever, Cripple. That is your destiny, the only road that is laid out in front of you. Alone for all eternity!_« A sick, maniac laughter echoed in her mind, making her wince. Gritting her teeth, she made another attempt to stand.

»_WEAK! You are weak!_« Finally grasping control of her trembling muscles, she managed to sit up. She was panting hard, and it took a while before blood returned to her left arm and side. Then something caught her eyes, and she looked at her reflection.

»_You will die all alone, loved by no one_.«

Emerald eyes stared back at her.

»_You fool to hope! You fool to actually think that had a chance_!«

The greens of her irises expanded, as her pupils dilated.

»_But then again, you never are alone, are you_…«

Past the greens of her eyes…

»_'Cause when it all comes down to it_…«

Deep, deep inside of the blacks of her pupils…

»_You will always have _**me**!«

She saw a face of menace, cackling the most fanatic and frightening laugh she had ever heard. Something inside her snapped and she screamed.

"NOOO!" With the force of a sledgehammer, she slammed her fists into the mirror. The impact was so hard that the mirror exploded into a silvery rain of sharp shards, cutting her white, pale skin thousands of times. Crimson blood dripped down her arms and face, a deep contrast to her porcelain hue. The cuts stung like thousand needles, making her scowl. When the last of the shards had fallen down to the ground, she was breathing heavily. Adrenaline was surging through her veins, filling her with a well known anger. The vitalizing concoction revived her, made energy flow back to her limbs and steadying her breaths.

_No… Ah'm not weak!_

With new vigour, she climbed up on her own two feet. Blood dripped down from the shallow cuts, staining her clothes and made small pools on the floor.

Somewhere the past few days, she had lost herself, she knew. The self-pity had consumed her to such a level, that she had been rendered a victim to the ghosts in her mind.

_Never…_

In her pain and disappointment she had grown weak and lost control of herself.

She snickered. The self-pity was slowly transforming into self-hate, making the subdued pain in her head slowly dissipate.

_Never again…_

She had lost control and had put herself to the mercy of others. It was an unforgivable, inexcusable act of weakness. She was the Rogue, and to surrender herself to the psyches was too contradict her own nature. It blemished her, stained her.

_Never let that happen again…_

Weak. She had gone weak. The realization left a bitter taste on her tongue, and she felt dirty by her own acts. It was a mistake that would take a lot to erase.

She looked down on her saggy, torn clothes she hadn't changed the past three days. The foulness of her past actions was evident on her exterior, in such an obvious way it made her feel sick. There was a need, a _craving_, for clemency. A way to wipe away the past days and revive her true nature.

_Never, ever again…_

And then it was decided. She needed to rebel, rebel against herself and against everyone. It was that simple. Her only salvation.

She was going rogue.

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**A/N**; Finally! Oh my god, I sat with this chapter for three days, and pretty much sunk into the same miserable state Rogue was in. I literally threw my pen away halfway, and utterly refused to continue. A little caffeine brought me back, but it was _hard_ to write this chapter. Plus, it was so damn long. About six thousand three hundred words… I'm spoiling you rotten, really.

Well, anyway. My thoughts of this chapter was that it should be the very opposite from the previous chapter, like yin and yang, sorta. You noticed that the chapter titles are a continuation of each other, right? "At the end of a prayer…" and "…A liberation of darkness awaits". Just to emphasize the point that they belong to each other. The cleverness of me never seize to surprise!

Next chapter, Rogue makes an attempt to redeem herself. Will she succeed? What will she do? And what will happen?

**Chapter 10; ****I Walk the Night**, next!

But right now I need some encouragement, I'm completely depleted. Urgh, my hand.

Reviews? Pretty please? .

Hugs,

//Fahne


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_

**I Walk the Night**

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_// "Hey, Rogue?"_

_Rogue changed the page in the book she was reading, and cast a quick glance at her winged friend who sat on the window sill, his gaze fixed somewhere far away. _

"_Hmm?" She asked._

"_Have you…" His voice trailed off as he rephrased the question in his mind. His gaze turned to her. "Do you ever think about love?" Rogue raised an inquiring eyebrow and smiled._

"_Are yah getting sappy on meh now, Warren?" She asked in a teasing tone. He laughed._

"_C'mon Rogue, I'm serious!" His laughter faded and was replaced by a small smile as he looked at her. "Do you?" Rogue's smile withered and her eyes dimmed as her mind went far away. _

"_Sometimes." She whispered in answer, after a moment of pause, her tone devoid of all the previous mirth. Warren swung his legs over the edge of the window sill, leaning forward with the heels of his hands supporting him on the edge. _

"_Do you believe that everyone has a soulmate? You know, that there is someone out there for everyone?"_

_A faint blush appeared on Rogue's cheeks and she turned her face away to hide it._

"_Soulmate? Ah- Ah don't know, Warren. It sure would be beautiful if it was true, but…" The corners of her mouth curled up in a small, sad smile and she looked him in the eye. "For someone like meh, with mah mutation, it seems kinda impossible you know." Warren jumped down from his seat only to fall on his knees beside her._

"_Hey." He whispered and squeezed her gloved hand, comforting. "You are beautiful, Rogue. There's no way there's nobody out there for you too." Rogue's throat constricted as she met his blue compassionate eyes._

"_Yah're so full of crap, Warren." She admonished in a jovial tone, and grazed him with a brilliant smile of her own. "But thank you."//_

The past clung to Rogue like a second skin, rotting slowly as each dream of a future with Warren slowly died. Her clothes hung in rags, rancid with her discarded self-pity. It was like she had been deteriorating the past days, her loss obvious on her exterior. But underneath the surface, hate was still boiling, a hate against herself and her own acts. It wasn't a destructive hate, but a hate that fuelled her will to change and transform from weak state she was in, into something stronger that was able to walk the road ahead of her. Something that could rebel and break free from her chains that tied her down.

Rogue peeled off her bloodstained and torn clothes, and threw them away. In the bathroom mirror she could see every cut she had received from the mirror shards, still fresh and bleeding. The small strokes of red adorned her arms, shoulder and face. It had to go. In her mind she tapped Logan's healing powers and watched as each and every cut slowly disappeared without a trace left behind. When she was satisfied with the result, she stepped into the shower and turned the knobs to hot water.

The cold water that broke against her skin heated slowly, leaving small tendrils of awareness on her skin. It was a blissful sensation to wash the past away from her skin, and to watch everything dead and dying go along with it. With soap and sponge she scrubbed her skin so thorough, it flushed red by the exercise. The mouldering hope and the lost dreams flushed down the drain and left Rogue naked and exposed to her own criticism and self-hate.

What had she done? She had let herself to fall because of her foolish hope for a better future had broken. The future she knew so well that had never been hers to experience. Family, love, romance. It was all sealed doors for her. She had deluded herself that even someone like her could open them, and she had paid a high price for those delusions.

In her mindscape, pieces of her heart laid scattered on the ground. With a gentle care, she gathered whatever pieces that was left and gently wrapped them up in band-aid. With time, maybe it would heal. With time, maybe she would be ready for a new hope. But whether she would be or not, she didn't care. Because her heart would be sealed off to anyone. She wouldn't be able to handle another disappointment. This had been her last and only chance. She could delude herself that maybe, _maybe_ next time would be it. But it was something she couldn't afford, the stakes were too high, so she didn't. Not now, not ever. Not after…

She shook her head vigorously, water splashing everywhere. _No, don't think about it. Don't step into that pothole again._ She needed to focus on the now, on what she could do to redeem herself in her own eyes.

To go rogue. To let all those rules and restrictions that tied her down, to loosen and fall. Could it be so simple? Could such a simple an act make a difference? She didn't know but it was worth a try.

Hell, it was worth several tried if it could revert her back to normal. To the 'normal' Rogue that is. She doubted she owned any trace of the real 'normal'.

But Rogue had never been so overwhelmed by self-pity before, so totally abandoned in it. That was a new, unpleasant experience, and it left her confused. The Rogue didn't wallow in self-pity, she was tough and focused, always on top of her game. But if she wasn't all that now, who was she then? Rogue didn't know, and she had no inclination of ever wanting to find out. By objectifying her own weaknesses, she had already taken a step back from that person. Slowly, slowly the roots were unearthed and detangled from the mess her foolishness had caused.

Rogue was already clean, but she soaped her body again, wanted to be perfectly sure the past was off of her. Shampooing her hair, and scrub her skin again and again. Not _every_ trace of the past vanished with the soap, some of it was still littering in her mind. But it helped.

She blinked the water away from her eyes, trying to get her blurry vision to sharpen. She felt a little better already. Somehow the simple act of washing all the bad away had reinflated some of her lost respect for herself. Underneath all that grime and dirt, Rogue still existed. It was both a comfort and relief, and though it didn't heal all the wounds, it eased the pain a little.

She snapped the knobs to the shower and the hot rain seized to fall. When she opened the door to the shower, cold air rushed in and made her skin prickle with goosebumps. The mirror was slightly dimmed with steam, and she wiped it off with a sweep of her hand. The reflection that met her was the familiar face she had seen all her life. Green eyes, slightly flushed cheeks and a, now rekindled, spark of life mirrored in the face. So much a little determination and soap could do.

With the help from Storm's powers, Rogue blow-dried her hair with the wind until it became a wild, tangled mess. She took out the flatiron, but hesitated. The definition of Rogue was; unpredictable and mischievous. Surely, her untamed her would complement that much better than her usual flat and disciplined hair. So she put back the flatiron. Grinning, she enjoyed the realization of that it was impossible to plan the unpredictable, but however, it was possible to prepare for whatever would come.

So she ran back into her room, only wrapped up in a towel and opened her closet. She needed something she never usually dared to wear, something that could reflect her mischievous mood this night.

She rummaged through her closet, throwing all the discarded clothes on the floor in a hazard manner until she found the perfect outfit. It was a mottled black and grey dress that fit her snugly. It reached down to just above her knees, and had slits on the sides that were clutched together with straps and ribbons. Along with the dress came an acid-green corset, which emphasized her natural hourglass shape, rather than making her waist thin as a needle. The corset showed a lot more cleavage than Rogue usually dared to show, but this night it was perfect. The top of the dress stuck out from the corset, nicely framing her breasts. The shoulder straps were broad with riffled folds, covering her shoulders loosely. A pair of long dark green opera gloves also came with the dress.

Rogue dressed quickly, and with the help of Jean's powers she tied all corset's ribbons and straps. She also put on a pair of stockings to cover her legs and selected a pair of black stilettos to wear. As for makeup, she chose a dark, blood red lipstick and a thick layer of eyeliner. When everything was done, she scrutinized the result in the mirror. The colour theme was ideal for the night. The black of the dress brought a mystery to the outfit, and the green of the corset added a touch of poison. The finishing touch was her black leather bomber jacket she usually wore. Dangerous, unpredictable, rogue. The corners of her mouth curled up in a grin. She was ready.

She opened the balcony doors, letting a cool wind rush in. The air smelled fresh and sweet as she inhaled it. The wind coyly played with her wild hair, making her locks dance around her shoulders. She let out a high rich laugh, already feeling a flow adrenaline in her blood.

Tonight was the night she let all those restrictions and inhibitions go. A night of freedom and redemption, a chance to be as unpredictable as nature intended for her to be. She wouldn't plan anything, just go with the flow and do what her gut feeling told her to do.

Heaven stretched out its wide arms before her, welcoming her. She accessed Carol's powers to embrace it. Laughing, she launched herself into the air and flew towards the sky. She accelerated to a speed she had never dared to reach before. Air rushed pass her, making her eyes fill with tears by its speed. Another laugh escaped her as she ascended higher and higher into the sky. The mansion shrunk to the size of an ant, and the world around it looked like a child's model world. She flew pass the first dewy layers of clouds, stopping shortly after to take in her surroundings.

An ocean of highlighted grey stretched out before her, so vast it reached well beyond the horizon. Above her the moon glowed in such a pristine white, no pearls in the world could ever match. Rogue resumed her flight and stretched out a hand towards the moon above her. Eerie light made Rogue's lilywhite skin shine like a ghost's, her eyes glistening as the moon grew bigger in her vision. The air grew thinner and made it hard for her to breath, but she smiled anyway.

When she was only a tiny black figure against the large brilliant disc of light, she slowed down. She clenched her hand as if she wanted to catch the light with only her hands. Then, a sudden hesitation overcame her. Would she really dare to let go? To lose control? What if…?

_No. Let it all go. Release the ties and let go._

Closing her eyes, she unclenched her hand. She could do it.

_Let go._

And she let go. Carol's psyche faded in her mind and the powers slipped from her grasp. Gravity started to pull her down and she let it.

Still with closed eyes, she felt clutches of the wind pull her clothes and hair as she plunged through the atmosphere. A passing sensation of humidity and coldness made her aware that she dropped through the clouds. Adrenaline spiked the blood in her veins, making her heady as she continued her free fall. Pulse thundering in her ears, her breath hitching. But she let herself fall through the sky. It was an incredible experience, so utterly free and liberating in every sense. Every tie and bond that restricted her split. She was Rogue and she was free.

She opened her eyes to see the ground approach her rapidly. Accessing Storm's powers, she let a torrent of air catch her in the last possible moment and bend her line of movement to a horizontal one. Twirling and spinning, she laughed as she flew parallel with the world, the ground rushing past beneath her.

It was then the city caught her eye. Bright and shining like a beacon, full of promises and adventure. She knew instinctively, that's where she wanted to go. The perfect place for her night. So she flew to the city, circling above it in the air for a few moments before she decided to drop down in a dark alleyway.

She walked out to the streets and the crowds, enjoying the flashing neon lights and the sound of people chattering and laughing. Even in the midst of the night, traffic was high and running. The city was pulsing with life, shining so brilliantly in contrast to the black sky above them.

With the gait of a stalking cat, Rogue walked down the streets confidently, drinking in the moment. She attracted many curious and appreciating looks, and she secretly revelled in them. Without any intentions of going anywhere special, she just let her legs carry her to wherever she went. She passed monuments, fountains, people, buildings and parks. Nothing particular caught her attention, and no particular feelings lingered, she just walked the night, forgetting everything that had happened to her.

The sound of music reached her ear, a slow beating rhythm that pulsed through the entire street. It didn't take long before she found its origin.

There was a club across the street where the sound came from. It was apparently very popular, because outside of it a long queue had formed. Two bulky guards were stationed at the sides of the entrance, resembling two statues of flesh and muscle. They only let certain people in, rejecting many that somehow didn't fit their taste or didn't look handsome or beautiful enough. Smiling, Rogue made her way across the street with a predatory glint in her eyes.

The guards saw her approach and glanced indecisively at each other. Rogue certainly fit the standard they let in, but something made them hesitate. But before they had the chance to make a decision, an invisible force pulled them out of her way and Rogue entered the club unharmed and unstopped.

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Inside the club the music was turned up to an ear-exploding level, making it almost impossible to hear anyone talk. Not that Rogue cared for small-talk though, she was there for completely different reasons.

With a practised eye, she surveyed her surroundings in one take. The room was crowded with slithering and writhing bodies, their movements in perfect synchronisation with the heavy rhythm of the song. Light flashed in an intermittent frequency, erratically erasing the shadows only to disappear and reappear again. The air was hot, humid and slightly oxygen-deprived, causing a slight buzz in Rogue's head. Eying the crowd attentively, she made her way through the onlookers, catching several men's admiring gazes before she got to the bar. With the help of her fake ID (fake name; Alice Smith, fake name; 22) she ordered a drink and sat down.

When the bartender handed over her drink, she rewarded him with a flirtatious smile. Sipping the neon blue liquid, she turned to watch the people on the dance floor. She tilted her head a fraction and smacked her lips. Due to Rogue's mutation she had never dared to go clubbing. It practically screamed 'Accidents meant to happen' with all the uncovered skin and bodies pressing against each other. But tonight it was just that danger she sought. Even though she was covered from tip to toe, Rogue had no doubt she would be asked to dance. And true enough, after only a few minutes someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw a man in his late twenties, black hair and brown eyes, smiling at her.

"Y' wanna dance, love?" He asked her in a thick Irish brogue. Accents, got to love them. Rogue flashed him a sultry smile and accepted his hand and they both walked out to the dance floor.

As it was Rogue's first time to actually club dancing, she was a bit uncertain in the beginning. But after a few moments of a beating rhythm from the music and the encouragement of her dancing partner, she let all inhibitions go and just did what came naturally. Hands in the air, hips swinging, she let herself completely give in to the music. Rogue was a natural when it came to dancing, and when she let loose, she enjoyed herself immensely. Her partner seemed to notice it, probably taking it as an invitation, and settled his hands on her waist to join her in her enthusiasm. Rogue was only vaguely aware of his touches, but her mental alarm went off immediately. But with an unwavering resolution she silenced it, to fully enjoy her night. This was not the night for precautions, but for the exact opposite, so she let him touch her and continued to dance. However, after a while the song switched to a slow one, with a more erotic heave of rhythm. Naturally, her partner got bolder and tried to nuzzle his face in the crook of her neck. Rogue recoiled, but they had already made a brief contact. She gave him an inspective glance and saw that the contact had left him slightly woozy, and unable to continue the dance. She shrugged loftily and went back to her drink. There would be many more who asked her out, and he hadn't been such a good dance partner anyway.

She rolled her head to work out the kinks in the back of her neck. It felt good to let go and to stop worrying every second. But she knew that tomorrow all the worries would return, so she was fully intent to savour the moment. In one sweep she downed her drink and ordered a new one, laughing at the bartender's surprised face. No inhibitions and no restraints. That was the only rule for tonight, and she was intent to follow it.

Suddenly, her shoulder started to itch. Well, not exactly itch but it was an annoying sensation that pricked her mind. Frowning, she rubbed her shoulder to make it disappear. It didn't. She had a hunch of what t really was, and turned around to see if she was correct.

In the dark corners of the club, a pair of red eyes emitted a soft glow. As Rogue met his gaze they flashed a brilliant red.

_Gambit._

What was _he_ doing here?

But before she had the time to ponder that question any time longer, she felt a pull, an alluring so strong she had to grab the edge of the bar to steady herself.

The reds of his eyes were churning in the darkness, and even through the crowd it was obvious that his gaze was set on her and her alone. Rogue bit her lips, transfixed by the red gaze.

He was calling her, enticing her to come over. She could almost hear those unspoken promises of sweet pleasure his eyes emitted. His gaze was so intense and powerful, Rogue silently wondered what she had ever done to earn such a passion. But maybe he had that effect on all the girls? _That look that make yah feel like yah're the one._

She shook her head vigorously. He was the enemy. He couldn't be trusted. Gripping the glass in her hand more firmly, she looked down at her vague and blurry reflection. Though she had promised herself to let go, she hesitated.

Then her reflection was briefly replaced by Scott's stern and disapproving face, his eyes silently admonishing her. She burst into laughter as she imagined the speech she would get if Scott ever found out that she had been fraternising with the enemy.

But that was what this night was all about. To rebel. This night she wanted the enemy, and all the risks and dangers that were came along with it. She drank the rest of her drink, blinking as the toxins seeped into her blood. A slight buzz would only help her, she reasoned.

The red burning eyes guided her through the masses, calling and enticing her to come closer. Rogue made her approach deliberately slow to tease him, and she smiled playfully, looking at him underneath droopy eyelids. The embers of his eyes glowed in amusement, and something more she was unable to define. But when she emerged through the crowd, she found that he was gone. No red burning eyes, no cocky grin nor the Cajun they belonged to. Frowning, she looked around her shoulder. Not there. Her gaze darted across the room but he was nowhere to be found. Where in the world…?

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her from behind, a hot breath caressing her ear.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous for y' t' be out here all alone, _chère_?" Gambit whispered in her ear. Rogue grinned and turned around to meet his gaze.

"Maybe Ah like danger." She replied in a sultry voiced and dropped her gaze, letting it slide over him to fully appreciate the view. Gambit cocked an eyebrow at her boldness… but soon a slow sexy grin spread across his face and he repaid the courtesy by doing the same to her. Rogue could feel his gaze rack over her like a warm sensation, and she loved the way it made her whole body tingle in delight. There was an extra edge to flirt with the enemy, to do the forbidden and break all the rules. It was _exactly_ what she needed.

"Y' look _très magnifique_ tonight, _chère_. Dressed up for someone in particular?" He asked her with a slight tilt of his head, and studied her expression, the same shameless grin playing on his lips. Rogue grinned in return, leaned a little closer with a hand resting on his chest.

"Maybe… Wanna dance, swamp rat?" She asked coyly, peering at him beneath her eyelashes. His response was a red flash of his eyes and a cheeky grin as his arm snaked around her waist to guide her out to the dance floor.

--

Gambit was an excellent dancer. Not that Rogue ever believed otherwise (it was quite obvious the way he moved), but she was still taken by surprise. They moved together as one, his hands on her hips as he gently guided her movements in perfect synchronization with his own. Rogue had her back pressed up against him, all trepidations and concerns flown out of the window. He was the enemy, and he knew the rules. Get too close and you'll get burned. But he danced on the border to the forbidden, his hands wandering and exploring her curves, his face so close to her own, almost buried in her hair. Always close, but never touching her.

His little game of play amused her, but at the same time it drove her insane. Rogue knew what would happen if she touched him, but at this point she didn't care; she wanted him to. To put it frankly, she didn't care if he dropped to the floor unconscious, he was the enemy after all. His touches and the proximity of him had started a fire inside of her, and she needed him to touch her and douse the flames that threatened to consume her. So she decided to try a little game of her own.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, him still behind her, and erased the remaining space between them. As they moved at the slow heaving rhythm of the music, Rogue's ass rolled firmly against his groin, making him gasp. She almost laughed as his grip around her hips tightened, pulling her even closer and made her feel the growing bulge in his pants. He was clearly aroused by her behavior, just as she wanted him to be. A mischievous grin spread across her face.

Game on.

As they danced, Rogue continued to dare him to touch her by repeatedly rubbing her against him, trying to make him lose control of what he did and make him cross that forbidden border. It didn't take long before he realized what she was doing, and with a shameless smirk, he retaliated her actions by upping the stakes.

He let her get closer, but even when they were so entangled with each other it was impossible to dissect where the other began and the other ended, he didn't touch her. His actions, almost touching but never really do was driving Rogue insane. Apparently she needed something a little bit more _convincing_ to persuade him. She turned around and met his gaze steadily, grazing him with a sultry smile. In her mindscape she rummaged through all her psyches, until she found the one she was looking for. Gambit's psyche. He needed some of his own medicine, and Rogue was more than happy to deliver. With a careful and calculated touch, she tapped his powers but only let his empathy flow through the connection. On the outside, Rogue kept her green eyes, but they had started to kindle a glow of their own. His eyes widened a little in surprise at her sudden display. Rogue stretched out her empathy and gently nudged his emotions, diminishing his surprise and instead amplified his desire and arousal.

She looked him in the eyes, daring him.

_Touch meh…_

_Ah dare you…_

Her eyes swirled a deep, emerald green as she charmed him. They both had stopped dancing, their eyes locked. But she didn't know if it was working. Gambit didn't show any signs of succumbing to her charms, so she strengthened her efforts. His gaze dropped to her lips, and then back up to her eyes.

_Touch meh…_

He dipped his head closer to hers.

_Ah dare you…_

Their lips met in a gentle, slow and unhurried kiss, making Rogue's toes curl in delight. She tried to savor the moment because she knew, all too soon he would fall unconscious. The flames inside her doused, and with a satisfied moan, she pulled away from him.

She blinked. To her great shock, he was still standing. And she hadn't felt any pull of her powers. It took a second before she realized what had caused this. Gambit grinned triumphantly at her, and Rogue saw the slightest red of her lipstick on his lips.

Lipstick. Right, they hadn't touched because a thick layer of Rogue's makeup had protected them from skin to skin contact. She groaned and closed her eyes. He had won their little game. She had tried to make him touch her, and he had teased her by almost doing it, but always pulling away at the last possible moment. When she had charmed him, she thought she had him in her grasp as his lips met her, but apparently he hadn't touched her. He had cheated, and walked away with the prize; a kiss.

She snorted a laugh and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Fahne, Swampy. Yah won the game." She admitted grudgingly. His grin widened and he wiped off her lipstick.

"What game? Thought we were dancin'" He replied in mock confusion. Rogue rolled her eyes, and shifted her weight and made her hip thrust to one side. She was just about to retaliate but stopped herself as a sick sensation of spinning overcame her, making her stumble. Gambit caught her arm and helped her straightened up. She closed her eyes for a moment, just concentrating on breathing. When did it get so hot in here?

"_Chère_? Y' okay?" Gambit asked her in a concerned voice. Rogue nodded slowly and gripped his arm more firmly.

"Yeah, Ah just… It's all the alcohol and the heat in here. Don't they have any AC in here?" She asked in a slightly trembling voice. Oh boy, the drinks had certainly made their wonders with her head. Everything tilted and swayed, and her ears were ringing of oxygen deprivation.

"C'mon, let's go out and get some fresh air." Gambit took her arm and draped it around his neck, his hand on her waist to support her. Rogue followed his lead, left in no shape to walk on her own, and together they stumbled to the exit.

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Rogue took a deep gratifying breath of the, well, _fresher_ air, outside. Her head wasn't spinning so badly anymore, however exhaustion overcame her after borrowing all the different powers from her psyches. She had her fun for today, and now she was ready to go home.

"Ah can walk by mahself." She said in a slight slur to Gambit and disentangled herself from him. She took three steps, the world made another loop in her eyes, and she stumbled. Before she could fall flat on her ass, Gambit caught her and chuckled, a low deep rumble in his chest.

"I can see dat _chère_, must say dat I am very impressed." He teased her in a jovial tone. Rogue swatted the air and pursed her lips.

"Shut up, swamp rat, Ah'm doing fahne here. Ah'll be home in no time." This time she only got one step before she the spinning in her head started again. Gambit caught her, and she let herself lean against his chest for a moment to collect herself. Why, oh why had she taken that last drink?

"Yeah, if y' mean by 'no time' next week or the next month." He took hold of her arm to help her walk. "C'mon, I'll help y' home." Rogue mumbled something in reply, but let him assist her. They only needed to walk a few steps before it was clear that Rogue was in no shape to walk even with his assistance. Gambit stopped and gave her with a measuring look.

"Well…" He drawled. "Seems like dere's only one option left." And with that he slipped an arm behind her knees, and swept her off her feet to carry her bridal style. Rogue groaned but was too exhausted to fight him.

"Noo…" She closed her eyes and let her head fall back. This was so humiliating. Drunk, incoherent and unable to walk by herself. Certainly not the ending of the night she had hoped for. She was silent for several moments, trying not to get too comfortable in the Cajun's embrace. He was warm against her side, and his arms were positioned in such a way Rogue could just relax and let the lull of his walk drift her off to sleep. But she fought against it, trying to bring herself out of her intoxicated state.

"Yah know…" She drawled, her accent more pronounced thanks to her drunken state. "Ah so hafta kick yoah ass next time to compensate for this humiliating damsel-in-distress fiasco."

She felt him chuckling, a low rumble of his chest. Rogue peeked an eye open. His gaze was set straight forward, a smile playing on his lips, but he didn't answer.

"Yah know where Ah live?" She asked him, but continued before he had the chance to answer. "Of course yah do. Enemies and all that. Ah bet yah know all about us X-men."

"Maybe not everything." He hummed and grinned. "But more than y' think." Somehow he managed to make that one sentence sound perfectly dirty, as his appreciating gaze slid over her body. She huffed.

"Whatever." Another silence. Her thoughts were in a jumble and it was hard to straighten things out. What had gotten her to do this in the first place? She couldn't remember, her memories were too disjointed.

"Why are yah doing this anyway?" She asked him with a frown. He cast her a quick glance before his gaze turned to the road ahead of him.

"Told y' before, chérie. I do whatever I want wit' my free time."

Rogue snorted a laugh.

"And saving drunken ladies from kissing the ground is what yah do in yoah spare time?" She asked him cynically.

"If the lady is a happen t' be a very nice looking _belle_ from Mississippi, den I have no complaints." He said, and elicited a laugh from her.

"Swamp rat." She began and looked at him with a huge grin spread across her face. "Ah don't recall Ah ever said to yah that Ah was from Mississippi."

"_Non_, but y' accent did." He replied. She huffed and pursed her lips. With an exaggerated sigh, he rolled his eyes and looked down at her. "Are y' saying that y're not from Mississippi, _chère_?" He asked her, a slight irony traced in his tone. Now it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"No, that's not what Ah meant! Ah'm only saying that you're taking things for granted." She replied and pouted her lips in an adorable sulk. The corner of his mouth curled up in a slow grin.

"Like what?"

"Like yah think Ah actually fall for that charming grin of yoahs, because Ah don't. And that yah think Ah actually like yah 'cause Ah danced with yah tonight."

"And y' don't?"

"Of course not. Yah just happened to be at the right time at the right place." She replied and yawned. "Yah were only lucky."

"_Ma petite_, lucky is my way of livin'" He said to her with a cocky tone, but only got a vague mutter in reply as she snuggled closer against his chest.

"Yah smell nice." She mumbled, her voice slightly muffled. He cocked an eyebrow, surprised by her sudden admission. He glanced down at her. She was already asleep, snoozing softly against his chest. He cleared his throat.

"Better take th' car." He said to himself, and continued down the street with the southern belle sleeping in his arms.

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**A/N**; Hmm, a little romy for you all. Though I feel like such a tease because you only get glimpses of it… But rest assured, next time Gambit enters the picture he's here to stay. Just have to get Rogue to the right place at the right time, and then I have a surprise for you all. *Evil chuckle*

Next chapter;

**Chapter 11; Brush on Feelings**

And ooh. The author noticed that there are almost 100 hundred reviews. When the reviews pass one hundred, the author will celebrate it by starting on the next chapter immediately. So you better review if you want a fast update ^^

One hundred, one hundred, c'mon!

(Author too tired to edit this chapter and fix all the spelling mistakes. Be kind.)

Hugs,

//Fahne


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n; **Happy happy author gives you a happy happy update hoping that the happy happy readers will continue to make happy happy reviews.

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_Chapter Eleven_

**Brush on Feelings**

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Rogue woke up slowly. A bright sunlight blinded her vision as she peeked her eyes open. Groaning, she turned to her side and twisted the bed sheets around her legs. But with the intense light falling upon her, it was impossible to fall back asleep. So she sat up, rubbed the sleep off her eyes and looked around her.

She was in her room… and it was a mess. Mirror shards were scattered on the floor, mingled with old brown blood. Her closet was flung open and her clothes laid in disordered heaps everywhere. The room smelled of stale air and other undefined smells.

It was then she remembered. Angel. And Psylocke. And everything that had happened after she found out about them. She frowned. Something else had happened afterwards, something last night. But her memories were all a blur and she couldn't make any sense of it. She laid down again and stared up in the ceiling. It was then she noticed how warm she was. Unnaturally warm, even for her. Peeking under the covers, she discovered that she still wore her clothes. A small waft of a spicy cologne came from the clothes. The smell was familiar and it teased her memory, but she just couldn't remember. What in the world had happened last night? She was still in her clothes, and why did she smell like…

Something caught her eye. On the top of the other pillow laid a playing card. She took it up. It was the joker and it smelled also like… like…

Gambit.

Her eyes widened and she dropped the card. Memories suddenly resurfaced, albeit blurry and disjointed. _Oh holy mother of everything good and sacred!_ She remembered, her, flying and then falling, almost crashing to the ground. Then the city and the club. _Oh mah gawd, Ah absorbed someone and just left him there!_ And then there were all those drinks and… His glowing, red eyes. She had danced with him. A blush coloured her cheeks red. They'd kissed! And he had carried her home because she had been too drunk and exhausted to walk home on her own. _How humiliating!_ She buried her face in her pillow as if she couldn't see the world, it would disappear. Millions of thoughts ran through her head and she desperately tried to puzzle together the parts she had blacked out. If she had woken up in her own room, it meant that Gambit not only knew where she lived, but also where her freaking room was. Of course, he could have been just lucky, or he could've guessed that this was her room since it was the only unoccupied one. But _now_ he knew. And how he had managed to climb up to the third floor with her as carriage was just beyond her. And how had he managed to get through the balcony doors? She must have forgotten to close them when she left. What could have happened after that? He must have seen the state her room was in, of course. But that didn't concern her at all, she was a messy person anyway, a messy room was a normal sight when it came to Rogue. But she was immensely relived that she still had her clothes on. Her shoes were on the floor, but everything else was still on. His smell on her though, couldn't have been avoided if he carried her all the way (just the thought of it made her cringe). But it caused another problem she had to take care of.

Logan.

He had met Gambit before and would certainly recognise the smell. She needed to dispose of the clothes and then take a shower to erase his smell on her. Hurriedly, she threw the bed covers away and stripped off all her clothes and put them in a plastic bag. Then she jumped into the shower and with tons of soap and shampoo, she cleansed her whole body. _From the stupid swamp rat smell_, she thought bitterly. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to show up in places she least expected him to. Could he be watching her? _Nah, even though he seems kinda sneaky Ah don't think he would do that. He can learn nothing from the X-men by just looking at meh, so there would be no reason_. So she dismissed the though entirely. When she was done with the shower, she dried herself with a towel and swept off some random clothes from the floor and put them on. Glancing at the broken mirror on the floor, she bit her lower lip with a pensive look on her face. A quick glance at the watch. Kitty was going to come by any minute, and there would be a lot of questions if she saw the state of Rogue's room. Questions that demanded answer she wasn't ready to give… Her room needed to be cleaned as well.

She opened the balcony doors to vent out the bad air, threw away the broken mirror and all the pieces that remained of it. With a wet towel she scrubbed off the blood from the floor, and disposed of the towel as well afterwards. Just as she was about to get her entire closet off the floor and make her bed, Kitty phased into her room.

The Valley girl stopped dead, stunned by the sight in front of her.

"Hiya, Kit." Rogue greeted her cheerfully and fixed her pillows. Kitty opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. Her gaze was drawn to Rogue's bed.

"Is that a playing card on your pillow?" She asked with a frown, clearly confused.

"Uh, yeah." Rogue answered hesitantly. She had forgotten to put that away. Quickly, she snatched the joker away from her bed and dumped it in her drawer. With a last glance at the card she suddenly thought, _The wild card? Is that supposed to be some pun on last night?_ With a slight shook of her head she closed the drawer. Kitty looked around the room dubiously, as if a serial killer would jump out from behind the doors and stab her in the back. The same glance fleeted over to Rogue.

"Are you… okay?" She asked after a pause. Rogue smiled and started to stuff her clothes back into her closet.

"Yeah, Ah'm fahne." Another wide smile.

"Right." Kitty said, but didn't look convinced. In fact, she was looking like she was bracing herself for Rogue to suddenly explode at any second. Rogue rolled her eyes and closed the closet with a foot.

"Seriously Kitty, Ah'm telling yah. Ah am fahne." She glanced down at Kitty's hand which was holding a brown paper bag. "Is that breakfast yah brought with yah?" Kitty looked down at the bag in her hand as if she had totally forgotten it even existed. But before she could answer, Rogue snatched the bag greedingly out of her hands and peeked at the contents.

"Ooh, apple and cinnamon muffins, mah favourite!" Her stomach made a rude noise to proclaim how hungry she really was, and she took a big bite out of a muffin to silence it. Kitty was still stuck in that serial-killer-behind-the-door look.

"Okay." She suddenly said. "What have I missed? Something has happened, I can tell."A stubborn glint in her eyes sparked and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Spit it." Rogue shrugged with an open and innocent look on her face, her mouth still full of muffin.

"Nothing has happened. Why do yah think something has happened?" She asked with a muffin-muffled voice, and then frowned pensively at the muffin in her hand. "Ah think Ah'll have some coffee with. Ah'll just run down to the kitchen and get some." She averted her eyes from Kitty and tried to escape the Valley girl's stern look by walking away. But Kitty just followed her.

"Rogue, you can't fool me. Are you really expecting me to believe that everything's fine and dandy all of a sudden?"

"Yup." Rogue agreed in a non-concerned manner. Kitty didn't budge however, and continued to trace her steps.

"You know, people just doesn't bounce out of their grief just like that. Especially if they have sunken so low as you had. It usually takes days, weeks or even months before they go back to something even remotely normal... This isn't _normal_!" Kitty exclaimed. With a sudden halt, Rogue looked her friend in the eyes.

"Kitty." She said seriously. "Do Ah look normal to yah?" But before Kitty could answer, Rogue continued. "Look, Ah had a rough spot, Ah admit it. For a moment there, even Ah thought Ah wouldn't get out of it. But Ah did. Ah'm not saying that Ah've just forgotten everything like it didn't happen. But if there is any problem, Ah'm dealing with it. Right now, Ah just need to get out of mah room and stop feeling sorry for mahself, 'cause Ah won't do any progress by doing that." Kitty nodded but still looked a bit sceptical. Rogue flashed her a quick smile.

"Okay, then we're good." They continued down the hall. "So tell meh. What have Ah been missing the past days?"

"Not much, everyone's been away on missions all the time. Kurt took over your team's training while you were gone. Ah oh! Graduation is tomorrow!"

"Oh right! Ah've totally forgotten. At what time is it again?"

"At ten." Kitty cast her a sidelong glance. "Angel's gonna be there." She commented carefully. Rogue's face didn't betray the sudden twinge she felt, but she licked her lips and looked down at her muffin, avoiding Kitty's gaze.

"Is Psylocke gonna be there too?" She asked after a while, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

"No, apparently she had to go on some important fashion show or whatever because she's a model, so she couldn't stay. But Angel decided to stay for a few more days, for some mysterious reason." Kitty frowned. "Did something happen between you two? 'Cause I swear, like, he's been acting so weird since yesterday. Caught him putting marmalade in his coffee and pouring milk over his sandwiches. Weird thing is, he didn't even seem to notice as he ate it." Kitty shot her a pointy look, and Rogue tried to look confused and innocent.

"Sounds weird. Ah have no idea what could have caused this weirdness." A stern look from Kitty.

"Honestly!" She tried again but Kitty continued to stare her down. Yielding, Rogue threw her hands in the air as a sign of defeat.

"Fahne, okay! He came looking for meh yesterday, and he timed it exactly at the time the pain in mah head started to increase, which made meh kinda… Anyway, Ah begged him to leave the room."

"And that's the reason he's been acting weird?" Kitty asked sceptically and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, no… Ah sorta, kinda, yah know, accidently screamed at him to get the hell out of mah room. Sorta…" Rogue admitted hesitantly, and smiled ruefully. Kitty looked at her surprised, her mouth forming a small perfect 'O'.

"Wow… Well that could explain it." A small pause. "Did you apologize?" Rogue looked down at her muffin as if it suddenly had turned into the most interesting thing in the world. Kitty frowned. "Are you _going to_ apologize?" Rogue made a small noncommittal noise that really could have meant anything. Sighing, Kitty grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Rogue, I know that Angel is the last person you wanna talk to now, but he's still your friend. And right now, your friend is walking around, drinking marmalade coffee and is wondering what he had done wrong with you. He's clueless and lost, so please, just go and set things straight with him so he can stop wondering." Kitty pleaded. Feeling a bit guilty, Rogue turned her face away.

"Ah know, Kitty. Ah'll try and fix it." She promised in a quiet voice. Kitty smiled and squeezed her hand, comforting.

"Okay. So I'll see you later?"

"Yeah… See yah." As soon as Kitty turned her back to walk away, a deep crease between Rogue's eyebrows formed. She bit her lip and looked up in the ceiling, wondering if things ever would be okay between her and Angel. With a slight shake of her head, she walked down to the kitchen.

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As it turned out, Rogue didn't apologize to Angel. It could have to do with the little fact that Rogue was actively avoiding him. Sure, the night she had met Gambit had put some balm on the wounds, but she still considered herself to be in the middle of a healing process after her breakdown. And Angel just couldn't be a part of that process, at least not at that moment. So she thought it was wise to just avoid him until it all had passed, and everything was back to normal. It looked like a perfect plan. The only problem was that Angel seemed to be everywhere. In the hallways, the library, the Danger room, the laundry room. In fact, everywhere Rogue went, she saw him, waiting. It was quite obvious that he wanted to talk to her, but she couldn't face him just yet, so she was hard-pressed to come up with last-second escape plans every time she walked down the hall. It was getting tiring after a while, and when graduation day came, she was immensely relieved because it meant that she and the others would be so busy, Angel wouldn't even be able to talk to her if she wanted. Kitty however, lived under the impression that Rogue had apologized, since Angel had stopped drinking coffee with marmalade after he saw Rogue out of her room, seemingly healthy. Rogue didn't find it necessary to enlighten Kitty about the real situation. And neither did she tell her about Gambit. Too much humiliation, confusion and hundreds of other feelings she couldn't name, were involved with those meetings with him. So she held her silence, and hoped it would all pass.

The graduation ceremony passed without any incidents, to everyone's great surprise. No injuries, no burning buildings, no crumbling roofs, no aliens from another dimension, no delinquent mutants and no crazy lunatics trying to take over the world. Everyone looked over their shoulders, thinking; _Did we just have a normal day? Is that how they're supposed to look like? Huh… Interesting_. The Professor was so proud, Rogue actually could spot tears in his eyes. It could also have been because another four of his beloved students had survived high school without permanent damages, but Rogue was so fascinated by the 'normal' of the day she thought, _that must be it_.

When they got back to the mansion it was decided that there was going to be a small competition between the teams. Everyone gathered outside at the courtyard, but Rogue ran into the mansion to do a quick changing in her room. Skirts, especially long ones, weren't exactly the ideal garment for exercise.

But when she rounded a corner, she saw Angel at the other end of the hallway, talking to Jean. Rogue's knee-jerk response was to quickly phase through the floor. That hadn't been her smartest of moves because she ended up dropping to the floor beneath her, which was quite the fall, landing painfully on her ass directly in front of Logan.

"Stripes." He greeted her in his usual curt manners. Rogue feigned an innocent smile, as if dropping through the roof was a normal occurrence in her days.

"Hi, Logan." He helped her up on her feet and she took great care to avoid his gaze by smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt. _There's nothing more refreshing than to drop seven feet flat on yoah ass, in front of yoah teacher. It certainly inspires awe._ He however, didn't comment on her sudden stunt, but rather went to the heart of the matter.

"Where have you been the past days?" He asked her gruffly. _Oh yeah, learning about the bitterness of disappointment, battle with the psyches, yelling at innocent people, break some mirror and finally go out and get piss drunk and kiss the enemy. How about you, Logan?_

"Oh, Ah got the flu so Ah stayed in bed for a few days." She lied instead, hoping that her cover wasn't too thin. Logan cocked an eyebrow.

"I see. So you stayed in bed to rest?" He asked. Rogue nodded.

"Yeah, exactly."

"Got some meds from Hank, I suppose?"

"Of course."

"Warm tea for the throat?"

"Uhm, yeah."

"My healing powers for the sickness?"

"Yeah- ah, uh…" _Crap…_

"Think that's your worst cover so far, Stripes." He commented with a snort. Rogue agreed wholeheartedly. Cursing herself, and her award winning stupidity, she bit her lips to come up with an excuse and a better cover up story.

"Well, err, yah see, there was this thing-"

"All right, stop it Rogue before you make a knot out of your tongue. If you don't wanna tell me, then don't."

And exhale. This was why Rogue liked Logan; he didn't demand answers all the time. Relaxing, she gave him a genuine smile.

"Ah'm sorry Logan. Did mah absence cause any problems?"

"No. There was a lot of commotion, fires and such, going on in the city before and forced to pull out and check it all the time, but it was nothing we couldn't handle."

"Oh, okay. Well, Ah'm ready now if yah need meh."

"Nah, no need. Seemed to have died down now. Don't know what caused it all though." He gave her a sidelong glance. "Besides. You have other things to worry about." Rogue blinked.

"Ah do?"

"See yah, Stripes." He said and walked away without further explanations on his cryptic comment. Still wondering what he meant, she shot his retreating back a quick glance before she climbed out of the window to fly to her room.

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"Are you okay, Rogue?" Sam asked her in a concerned voice, as she and her team walked to the back of the mansion.

"Yes Sam, Ah am fahne. Not much has happened the last millisecond since yah asked meh that question." Rogue commented dryly over her shoulder and tried not to scowl at him. Why did people had to ask her that question all the time? Did she look like a psycho ready to explode at any second, or something? Okay, scratch that. Did she look like-

"But we didn't know what had happened to you and we got worried." Alex argued stubbornly, with a concerned frown on his face. "Are you _really_ fine?" Rogue stopped dead and turned around to give them all a stern look. With a serious tone she said,

"Boys. If yah ever ask meh that question _one_ more time… Ah will personally see to that the person who takes over meh, gives yah a twenty times as strenuous schedule as Ah did… Got it?" They nodded mutely. With a brilliant smile, Rogue patted them on the backs. "Good, now that is clear; Ah need yah to strip."

"WHAT?" They exclaimed in one mouth.

"Just the t-shirts. Go on!"

"But why?" Roberto asked incredulously. Rogue rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently on the ground.

"Ah am yoah tram captain, and if yoah team captain asks yah to strip, yah strip." With hesitant glances at each other, they did what she asked and threw their t-shirts on the ground. Bare-chested and confused, they stood in the shadow of the mansion, waiting for the next orders, Rogue nodded.

"Yah see that fountain over there?" She pointed at the ornamental piece of marble that was located about a hundred yards away. "Ah need yah to run as fast as yah can, round the fountain and then come back here." Roberto snorted.

"Easy! I'll be back in a flash!"

"And Ah need yah to do it twenty times."

"WHAT?"

"Rogue, mind telling us why we're doing this?" Sam asked her and shivered from the cool breeze.

"Sho', sugah." She flashed him a smile. "Right now, on the other side of the mansion, the Rubies are gonna start their round on the challenge course Logan has set up for us. Yah know this is the last contest we're in as team Jade." Her smile turned a little sad, but nonetheless cheerful. "So Ah wanted us to celebrate it with a victory."

"And how is this gonna guarantee us a victory?"

"Trust meh, it will. Just do the laps and met meh at the other side, okay?"

"I still don't get it." Alex confessed as the boys started to running. Sam mumbled in agreement. Roberto grinned and tsk-ed them.

"Guys, you're so innocent."

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Rogue protected her eyes from the midday sun with a hand. It was a beautiful day for graduation. Sin shining, the trees and the flowers blooming in the warm summer breeze. She watched the rubies as they started on Logan's course, jumping and evading laser shots from the guns. A nice day for small X-men to play.

»_You people are a sick bunch_.« A psyche in her head commented disgustedly. Rogue smiled. _Yes, sick we are_.

She turned around to see her team approach her with a hurried yet steady pace. But as they got ten feet within Rogue, they dropped dead on the ground, panting so hard they couldn't even talk. Rogue cocked an eyebrow and gave them an one-over. Sweat was practically streaming down their backs, glistening in the sun.

"Shit, you look like hell." She earned three very dirty looks by that comment. Grinning, she crouched down beside them.

"Okay, here's how it goes. Yah have twenty second to catch yoah breath and then Ah want yah to go over there-" She pointed at the water sprinklers on the lawn. "-and play." Sam and Alex shot her confused looks.

"Play?"

"Yup, play. Yah know, just have fun."

"Are you kiddin' us? Is that your grand plan? To play?"

"There's no faith in the youth today." Rogue mumbled to herself before she answered them. "Look, just trust meh, okay? It'll work."

"C'mon guys, let's go!" Roberto slapped them on their backs and with a lot of enthusiasm made then go over to the sprinklers.

"I really don't understand. But you do?" Sam asked Roberto. Roberto winked cheekily.

"Sure I do. It's a great plan. Let's have some fun!"

Rogue eyed the Rubies intently, waiting for them to get the sight of her team. It took them about two minutes before they did, and then they froze midstep. The boys really were a sight. Without t-shirts they showed off their lean torsos that were so well-defined after all the extensive training they've been through. Their hair was wet from the sprinklers, and tendrils of water ran down their hard muscles… Well, it was needless to say that the girls were speechless by the sight. Rogue grinned mischievously. Speechless and stunned. The Rubies sudden halt made them easy targets for the guns to shoot down, and one, two, three and they were all on their stomachs eating dirt. They were not seriously harmed as the guns were only meant to stun, but they did however lose the contest. The boys didn't seem to notice the girls, except Roberto of course, and Rogue just gave them thumbs up before she walked over to Kitty. Kitty shot her a dirty look and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Hello, Kit." Rogue greeted her with a content smirk.

"You're evil." Was Kitty's only response, which made Rogue's grin widen. But she shifted her features, and looked at Kitty with mock innocence.

"Meh? Ah have no idea what you're talking about." The crease between Kitty's eyebrows deepened.

"What?" Rogue asked, dropping the act. "You started it." Kitty scoffed.

"Yeah, but it wasn't my idea." She retorted. Now it was Rogue's turn to roll her eyes, looking at Kitty with that it's-so-obvious-it's-not-even-worth-mentioning look. Kitty shrugged, but soon, the corners of her mouth curled up in a smile, her gaze set somewhere far away. Leaning closer, Rogue eyes her friend's expression suspiciously.

"What?" She asked after a while, when she was unable to render anything of her friend's face. Kitty gave her a slow, sidelong glance before her gaze returned to the tracking field, which only peeved Rogue's curiosity even more.

"What?" She persisted.

"Oh, you know… Was just thinking." Rogue beckoned her to continue. Pausing, Kitty directed her gaze to Rogue, now with an undercurrent of seriousness in her tone. "You really do seem better." She admitted. With a scoff Rogue turned away and rolled her shoulders.

"Of course Ah am. That's what Ah told yah, right?" _Okay, maybe Ah ain't _completely_ okay, but Ah'm getting there. With a little persistence, illusions can become reality._

"You think we're gonna miss it?" Kitty suddenly asked, changing the subject. Confused, Rogue followed her gaze to see what she was looking at. Her gaze landed on the boys and the Rubies in the midst of a water fight. _Oh that's what she meant… Will we miss being team captains?_ Rogue shrugged.

"Maybe, Ah don't know. Guess we'll find out." A look at Kitty. "Any word on who's gonna replace our positions?" Kitty shook her head.

"Nope." With a languid shrug, Rogue stretched and put her hands on the back of her head.

"Well, Ah suppose we will find out later. But mah bets are on…" Her voice trailed off as something suddenly caught her eye. Angel was approaching them, or approaching _her_, to be more exact. He locked eyes with her before she had the time to turn away and pretend she didn't see him and to later escape. _Damn, gotto hand it to the boy. He is persistent. Only, what do Ah do now?_ A quick glance at Kitty, who was completely oblivious of Rogue's approaching predicament. No help there, unless Rogue told her that she hadn't talked to Angel at all. What was her plan B escape plan? There were no floors to phase through. What had her plan A been? But before she had even the chance to think of a new escape plan, Angel was right beside her.

"Hey Rogue, Kitty." Kitty acknowledged him with a nod and a flash of a smile, but turned away as if to give them more privacy. Rogue tried to burn a hole through her back with her intent stare, thinking, _Traitor_! Not that Kitty knew what she had just done, but it made Rogue feel a little better. Reluctantly, she turned to meet Angel's searching eyes and hesitant smile.

"Hey… Warren." She finally said, her tone not so enthusiastic. Angel's smile slipped for a second but he proceeded.

"Listen, Rogue, I wanted to talk to you-" _Talk…? Oh gawd that's not good. Someone, help meh! _"-'cause it's kinda been like you have-"

"Stripes! Half-pint! Get over here!" Logan suddenly bellowed, and with perfect timing, interrupting Angel before he said anything that would make Kitty suspicious. Inside Rogue's head, the hallelujah choir went off and she seriously considered hugging the old man.

"Uh, sorry Angel, gotto go!" She grabbed Kitty's arm and hurriedly escaped from the confused man they left behind. Logan only gave her a weird look at her sudden rush, but didn't comment.

"What did yah need us for, Logan?" She inquired with much enthusiasm, eager to leave the courtyard where Angel still stood.

"Chuck's office, now. It's about your solo missions." Both Kitty and Rogue gulped and gave each other a sidelong glance. _Out of the fire_, Rogue thought, _and into another_.

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Rogue, Kitty, Kurt and Evan sat and waited outside the Professor's office, nervously chewing their nails. The tension was so palpable, it could be cut with a knife. Rogue paced in a small invisible circle, her face slightly paler than her normal skin colour. Crap, she had no idea that her solo mission would be so soon. Yes, she knew that it would be after her graduation but she never so soon. It was big, this mission. No, it was huge in fact. After this she wouldn't be a team captain anymore, because she would be a senior X-man instead, deeply involved with the world of adults. _Oh, for crying out loud! Take meh back a few years! Ah'm not ready!_ Similar thoughts must have gone through the other's minds as well, because they were as sickly pale as her. Evan stared at the window as if he was contemplating of escaping through it. Kitty and Kurt looked like they were barely controlling the instinct to run away with the help of their powers. _This is worst than test day!_ Rogue thought and continued to walk in circles. Taking deep, steady breaths, she tried to relax. Just a simple mission, nothing big. _It's not a big deal, it's not a big deal_. She chanted in her head over and over, though it did little to reassure her and actually just made her even more nervous. The psyches started to pick up on her anxiety, but she roughly slammed them behind a mental wall. Distractions were the last thing she needed now.

Suddenly, the Professor's telepathic voice echoed through their minds.

»_You can come in now_.« With a few last twitching looks at each other, they paused for a second before they dared to enter.

Inside, the Professor sat in his wheelchair, behind his desk, smiling pleasantly at them as they awkwardly aligned themselves in front of him. Along the side of the room stood Jean, Scott, Storm and Logan, each holding a leather file holder. On the leather there was a small, golden inscription saying, _Solo Mission_, along with the belonging name. Rogue spotted her name on the one Logan was holding. He flashed her a confident smile, which she only could give a meek response to. Then her gaze turned to the Professor.

"Welcome, my young X-men." He began and smiled. "I must begin to tell you how deeply proud I am of you for having pulled through the hard times as X-men, and still manage to go through school like any other young people of this country. It has really touched my heart and strengthened my hope of one day be able to live in a world where humans and mutants are at peace. I am truly honoured to have been given the opportunity to guide you and help you through such an important part of your lifes that have passed, and for that I thank you."

Rogue couldn't help but to smile widely at the Professor's heartfelt words, feeling all mushy inside herself. His words truly rang honestly in her ears, and it made her heart swell. The Professor continued.

"Before I let Ororo, Jean, Logan and Scott inform you of your solo missions, I must, once again say how proud I am of you. It wasn't a long time ago you stood here, at the same spot you are standing at now, looking at the world with the wide eyes of a child. Now I see four excellent X-men stand before me. Strong. Independent. Intelligent, and most of all; compassionate. The time for you to step into the world of adults has truly arrived, and I am confident that you are ready. Now, you may take your portfolios."

Rogue walked over to Logan and accepted the stretched out piece of leather and paper. She bit her lip nervously.

"It'll be all right, Stripes." Logan reassured her. She nodded mutely, hoping that he was right, and listened to his instructions.

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**A/n; ** Too tired to make any further comments…Mmm….. Author is dying….

Please revive author with some reviews!

(Ps. Updates on the chapters on my profile page)

Next chapter;

**Chapter 12; An Inch Taller**

Hugs,

//Fahne


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter Twelve_

**An Inch Taller**

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Rogue rubbed her weary eyes and shook her head in attempt to chase off the sleep that threatened to overcome her. Her eyes were on the road ahead of her, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she drove north. After several hours of driving, sleep seemed to be unavoidable, but she managed to make a stand against it with a ridiculous amount of coffee. Steaming hot coffee.

She licked her lips and took another zip from the scolding hot mug. As the caffeine started to kick in, the bleariness at the edges of her mind faded and her head started to clear again. As she put down the mug in its holder, there was a quick flash of brown in the periphery of her vision.

At the other seat in the car, the brown, leather portfolio that encased the papers about her solo mission, laid in a disorganized heap along with several piles of paper. A small surge of excitement coursed through her at the flashing reminder of her mission. It had been only a few hours since she had been standing in the Professors office and received her first solo mission, yet so much had happened in that small amount of time.

Logan had given her all the details of the mission; the objective, suitable methods, in-case-of-emergency strategy etc, etc. If Rogue hadn't been so excited and nervous, she probably would have fallen asleep after ten minutes. Since it was their first mission alone, there had been a ridiculous amount of security measures taken. Rogue understood that the Professor was very anxious in letting them depart on this risky journey on their own, but with all these added security, they had passed the border of what was superfluous by far.

And did it really matter? If something happened and she phoned the institute for help, she would still be far away and it wouldn't be likely that whatever threatened her would wait nicely until the cavalry arrived.

No, she was on her own. No matter what lengths of measure were taken, the risks would still be tangible and inevitable if it would appear. If something would happen… If something unexpected and dangerous would occur, then she had to solely rely on her own strength. That was the true test, how well she would manage the situation whatever fate threw in her path.

Rogue nibbled her lower lip and glanced at the portfolio, pensively.

After Logan had informed her of her mission, she had spent the rest of the day to prepare for it. Evan, Kurt and Kitty had done the same and there had been little time to chat with them, but Kitty had briefly told Rogue that she had been given a recruit mission, though it was left unexplained who the candidate was. Kitty had seemed overly excited and jittery about her mission, and Rogue couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to it than an ordinary recruit operation. Could she possibly know the person?

The next morning they had all gotten up early and left the mansion before the sun had risen above the horizon. Kurt had gotten a lift with the Blackbird, leaving the others to get by with means of their own. Rogue had chosen a car to get to reach her destination, though after several hours of driving, she regretted she hadn't taken Velocity. Helicopters may not be so subtle, but they are certainly much faster than cars. Maybe it would be worth the trouble?

A small smile tugged the corner of her mouth, and she pressed down the accelerator to speed the car up a notch. The golden inscription on the portfolio flashed teasingly in the periphery of her vision. _Solo Mission, Rogue_.

Her mission. How had Logan phrased it? "A quick survey after things that go bump in the night."

In a town far north of New York, there had been a lot of suspicious fires. So far there have been no explanation for the random conflagrations, but it was likely caused by a pyromaniac. Rogue's job was to check if the fires had been caused by a mutant and if so, she should call the team immediately. If wasn't caused by a mutant, she'd help the local police to catch the culprit. Anonymously, of course. If necessary, she'd go under cover.

The mission was nothing too dangerous, but there were risks. If it was a mutant, Rogue could be in trouble if there would be a confrontation. Logan had told her that she had been gotten the most risky missions they handed out, but he also said that he had faith in her and believed she could handle it, in his own roundabout manner.

It felt good that he thought so high of her, and trusted her to deal with the mission on her own. It was a significant step into the world of adults, a marking point that showed of much she had grown the past years. She was ready to become a senior, she just had to do this one little thing to prove herself.

It also gave her a grand opportunity to get away from Angel and his persistent pursuit. A chance to let the dust settle and let the sharp contrast between black and white, between pain and sorrow blur in her memories. Less sharp, maybe it wouldn't sting her every time she was reminded.

But even through the cloudy greys of her memories, there was always that flash of red pricking her awareness, and a smug grin that annoyed her to no end.

Gambit truly was a man of many surprises. When they had med they had only been enemies and they fought. It had been a fight she had in fact enjoyed, but nonetheless it had been a simple meeting between two people from opposite sides. Nothing complicated. But when they had met a second time, at the mall, their acquaintance had slightly changed into something… _else_. He had shown her that he wasn't afraid of her powers and even demonstrated a will to get on a friendlier foot with her.

Rogue snorted. Well, that is at least what he had made an appearance of. At the time, she had thought it had been just another ploy to get through the X-men, and she had made her best to show him she wasn't that gullible as he might have believed. The intriguing thing though, was that he had searched her out yet again, despite her refusal to play his games. Her earlier show at the mall should have made him switch targets to someone to someone easier to fool, or at least change his strategy.

That is, if her assumption of him working after a hidden agenda was correct.

So what had their last meeting between them meant? That he was really interested of her, as a person and not as a means to an end?

Another snort. Not likely. But his intentions were probably less malevolent than she had initially believed, whatever that meant in reality.

But regardless of his intentions, he had helped her that night at the club. Maybe he didn't know it but he had helped her to loosen up and to things she normally couldn't do, in order to distance herself from her breakdown after the revelation about Angel.

Though… Some of the things they had done.

A blush coloured her cheeks red, and she gripped the steering wheel more firmly.

Some of the things she had done with him had been outrageous. The kiss? The intimate dance? She didn't remember all the details from her inebriated night or what had caused her to do _that_. Clearly, she had been out of her mind. Those experiences were better left forgotten.

Though she felt some gratitude towards him. After all, in a way he had set her free from her misery, and for that she was grateful. But it wasn't like she would ever tell him _that_. His ego was big enough as it was, no reason to make him topple over his own head. No, he was better left in the dark, she thought, amused of the irony.

Silently, she wondered for a moment where he was. What could he be doing right now? She didn't know, and though it was pointless to wonder about it, the thought was still there. But with a shrug, she shook the question off her mind. She would see him again, no doubt. After all, he was a man of many surprises.

The corner of her mouth curled up in a half smile.

Long after the sun had dived beyond the horizon and the shadows taken over the world, Rogue arrived at her goal. It was a small town where all the inhabitants knew their next-door neighbours. She had to tread carefully to not arouse any suspicion. Vigilante mutants are, for some reason, not welcomed in many parts of the country. In fact, _any_ mutant would probably be frowned upon, good or bad.

Rogue pulled up against the sidewalk and peered under the roof of the car, through the window. A bright neon sign marked the only hotel of the town, the one she was staying in. She parked the car, unloaded her baggage and checked in to the hotel.

Jangling her room keys, she walked up a few stairs to her assigned room and opened the door. The room was a far cry from a five-star, but it was pretty descent. As long as the room, the bed sheets and the bathroom were clean, Rogue was satisfied.

With a tired sigh, she dumped her baggage on the floor and crashed on the bed, exhausted.

She could start recon tomorrow.

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The morning after, Rogue re-entered her hotel room with a hot cup of coffee in her hand, moving in a sluggish pace with her features set in a tired, temperamental look. Shutting the door behind her with a foot, she made her way to her bed and dumped herself on it, making the springs of the bed protest loudly. She downed the coffee in one sweep, and closed her eyes to wait for the coffee buzz to erase the grogginess in her head.

Waking up in a strange room, in an unknown bed, smelling a weird, stale scent of old furniture could really mess up with Rogue's sensitive morning mood. This day was no exception, and when Rogue fumes, innocent bystanders could get seriously hurt. The only medicine to her temperament is coffee, so she had sneaked out in the early morning hours to the hotel's kitchen to get some. Though she had met some people on the way, she managed the ordeal without as much as snap at someone. Maybe it was the black storm cloud above her head that warned everyone to not approach her? _Shemonster on the way; beware!_

When Rogue felt a little better, she spread out all the papers she had on her mission over her bed. Sitting Indian style, she sorted them to get a better overview of what she already knew. Mission papers, description, articles, printouts etc.

Okay, what did she already know? A lot of inexplicable fires occurred in a restricted area.

Accidental fires? Hell no, there's no way that so many fires in the same area could be accidental, it was too deliberate.

Any signs of a culprit? None what she knew of.

Motive? No idea. Did pyromaniacs need a reason to burn everything at sight?

Anything else? No, Logan had been very sparing with the information. Rogue frowned, her elbow digging into her leg as she rested her chin on top of her hand, wondering if the lack of information was intentional or if he just didn't know. Whatever the reason was, it was clear that she needed more data.

Exactly where had the fires occurred, any witnesses, sights of the pyromaniac?

She needed to visit the crime scene to investigate, wherever that was. But when Rogue's stomach rumbled loudly, she decided it was best to have some breakfast before she started her work.

She got dressed and went out to the town's small centre, where she found a small café after some dedicated searching. The inside of the café seemed very dark and cramp, so she decided to sit out in the outdoor section, under the sun.

A tired looking waitress strode out of the café and asked Rogue what she wanted to order with a lethargic voice. Rogue politely asked for a latte and a piece of whatever pie they had, with a small smile tugging her lips. The waitress wrote down the order, her gaze sliding over to Rogue's gloved hands for the barest second, before she went back inside.

Rogue blew out a breath and rolled her shoulders. It was difficult to not look suspicious when you were completely covered from tip to toe, including gloves, in the middle of the warm summer. She had tried to ease the oddness of her look by wearing a white tank top with a semi-transparent white top over, gloves also white. It didn't look as warm as her usual attire, and white had a strange way of making her look very innocent. Hopefully, if people still found it weird, they would dismiss it as a skin condition, which really wasn't so far from the truth.

She took a newspaper that was left abandoned on a neighbouring table, and flicked through the pages. While she searched for anything new about the fires, the waitress from before came and served her the latte and pie. Absently, Rogue took a sip from the coffee and almost spit it out as soon as the lukewarm liquid touched her tongue. It was _foul_! The taste was so bitter and stale it made her toes curl in agony. What in god's name had they done with the coffee to make it taste so bad? Brewed it with old socks?

She took a bit of the pie in attempt to erase the bitter taste on her tongue. The pie wasn't so bad, a little dry around the edges, but definitely better than the coffee.

Her focus returned to the newspaper.

Unfortunately, there was nothing about the fires. It was a local paper, and if any more suspicious fires had occurred, it would be on the front page as there was not much else to report in this dismal place. But she scanned the papers again, just to be sure.

As she sat and turned the papers inside out to find even the smallest mentioning that could help her mission, the rest of the town had started to wake. The streets slowly filled with people and soon, the café as well. The buzzing sound of people chattering filled the air, making a slight scowl appear on Rogue's features as she tried to block out the noise. She stared at the papers very intently, but the sound of two old ladies chattering very loudly a few tables away made her focus slip, and after a few minutes she realised she had read the same sentence fifteen times already. With a frustrated sigh, she muttered curses under her breath and tried again. Newspaper. Look for article. Fire.

»_You know, you really shouldn't do that_.« A psyche in her head advised, his words barely a low whisper in her mind, as was usual for unattended and weak psyches.

»_Do what?_« Rogue asked impatiently.

»_Ignore them. You should listen_.«

»_Are yah talking about the people in the café or are yah talking about you psyches?_«

The psyche sighed heavily and projected a mental equivalent of an eye roll.

»_The people in the café, of course. Seriously_.«

»_And why would Ah listen to them? Ah ain't exactly interested in small town gossip_.«

»_Yes, you are. You want to know about the fires? This is probably a major topic in a small community like this, considering not much happens around places like these. Just listen and maybe you'll get lucky_.«

»_Huh_« Rogue glanced around, considering. Maybe the psyche had a point.

It couldn't hurt to give it a try.

»_By all means, no need to thank me_.« The psyche commented dryly. Rogue didn't answer, her focus had already shifted to the world on the outside. Snippets of conversation reached her ears. A couple walking by, talking about their holiday plans. A man talking on his phone, discussing something about his work. A young girl complaining to her middle-aged mother who sat and tried to drink her coffee in peace.

It took several minutes before she finally heard what she had been looking for.

It was the two old ladies, a few tables away, which Rogue had been very annoyed at before, that touched the subject. Their voices though, were inconveniently drowned by other people who'd occupied the rest of the tables. Rogue could only hear "…about the fires… very peculiar… no, I said…" but it caught her attention immediately. She tapped Logan's powers, and with his heightened senses she could eavesdrop on the conversation, while pretending to read the newspaper.

"…so he told me a house had been caught in the fire but been saved before it was severely damaged, and when I asked, he told me it was Maddock's house." One of them said in a grosgrain voice.

"Maddock? Lisa Maddock?" The other one asked, surprised.

"Who else?"

"But she is-"

"Crazy, I know. And that's what I told him. After her husband died so many years ago, she hasn't been quite lucid, that's what I told him. I wouldn't be surprised if she claimed someone did this to her. Probably Trevor, after what he did last year, but it was most likely just her doing all along."

"Would she really set her own house on fire?"

"Wouldn't surprise me. Last month she destroyed her water pipes, just so she could talk about her miserable life with the plumber. She would do anything to get attention."

"How very odd."

"It is, isn't it?"

"But there have been fires at other places as well. You think she might have caused them too?"

"Well, all the fires have occurred on the eastern part of the town, where she lives. It can't be just a coincidence, can it?"

"Hmm, I agree. It does seem very odd, I must say."

"And did the police investigate this possibility? No. They should have asked me and I could have told them how it really was. The same thing happened to my cousin when he…"

Rogue stopped listening to the conversation as soon as it turned to other topics. She finished her pie, threw a few money bills on the table and then left.

»_Where to now_?«

»_To Lisa Maddock's house to investigate_.« Rogue answered the voice in her head evenly.

»_Is there really any point? I mean, it probably was that crazy old lady who tried to get attention that did it, not a mutant. You have no idea how far people can go just to have someone to talk to_.«

»_Don't know that for sure. There's still a chance that it was a mutant, and Ah'm not leaving until Ah'm hundred percent sure. Ah need to go and investigate_.«

»_How?_« Another psyche suddenly asked. Rogue frowned a little, wondering why all the psyches in her head felt so outspoken all of a sudden.

»_How can you investigate when you don't know where this Maddock lives?_«

»_Eastern part of the town, wasn't it? Can't be too difficult. They said that the house had been caught in the fire, but hadn't burnt down, which must mean it has a very nice black burn mark somewhere. It won't be hard to find that, in this small town._«

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But unlucky as Rogue was, it turned out that the eastern part of the town was a whole network of houses and streets, so big at almost made a whole new community by itself.

Rogue looked at it in despair.

All houses looked exactly the same, except for a few colour differences here and there. Villas with a drive-in, a small garden at the backside, a fruit tree at the front. There was no house of what she could see that had any scourge marks, blackened spots or any other signs of conflagration. If she would have to look at every house, one by one, doing a three hundred and sixty check-up at every single one of them, she would be stranded here for ages. Years. Decades.

»_What now_?« One of her younger psyches asked, with a still childlike voice. »_Do you have to look at every house to find what you're looking for?_«

»_Not if Ah can help it. Ah plan to get home before next Christmas_.« Rogue replied and chewed her lower lip as she tried to come up with a plan.

The streets were empty and desolate, and the only signs that cars had ever set a wheel in that dismal place, were the bright spots of asphalt on the drive-ins where the cars had been standing. The majority of the inhabitants seemed to be at work or elsewhere, but Rogue saw one or two faces through the windows as she walked down the streets.

She pondered on what her next move would be, ignoring the shout outs and the suggestions from the psyches in her mind as she walked aimlessly.

How do you find someone without the address?

Well, the yellow pages, of course. But she didn't have access to that, neither the digital nor the catalogue. She had to go by with other means.

After a few minutes of thinking, Rogue came up with a plan, which would hopefully work. The only things she needed were a small notebook and a pen, which she luckily had brought with her, in case she needed to take a peek on her mission notes again.

She ripped off a piece of paper, scribbled something on it and headed towards the closest house with a car parked outside of it.

Tentatively, she knocked on the hard oak door and waited for a response. The muffled noise of something rustling came from the inside, the sound of footsteps, before a middle-aged woman with deep wrinkles in her face opened the door a little and peered at her suspiciously.

"Who are you?" The woman asked briskly. Rogue smiled politely, though somewhat hesitantly as if she was nervous.

"Hello, mah name is Alice Smith. Ah work at the Wilkesby local newspaper." Rogue said and paused as if she waited for a nod of recognisance from the woman, which she of course didn't get. The woman waited in silence, almost glaring at Rogue. With an awkward cough and a forced blush, she continued. "Ah'm a journalist, just graduated from college and Ah uh -" the woman kept staring and Rogue continued hastily. "- and Ah'm here to interviews about the fires that occurred in this town lately. Ah've got this address-" She held up the piece of paper in her hand. "-to a Lisa Maddock who could apparently help meh. Are you her?"

"No, I'm not." The woman answered curtly. Rogue made wide eyes and looked down at the scrap of paper in her hand, flustered, her gaze turned to search for the number of the house with a fervency of someone who had just made an embarrassing mistake.

"Uh – Ah- yah're not?" Rogue asked in a slightly panicking voice. "Ah've got this address and it says-" The woman snatched the piece of paper from her hand and glanced at it. With a snort she said,

"It's my address but Lisa Maddock doesn't live here." She handed back the paper to Rogue, who took it cautiously and licked her lips.

"You – uh- don't happen to know where she lives, ma'm?" Rogue asked with ill-suppressed hope in her tone. The woman simply glared at her for several moments, making her almost sweat for real, but then pointed at a road, far away, which lead into a big forest ahead.

"Up that road. When it splits, turn left and you'll find her house."

Before Rogue had the chance to sputter an incomprehensible thank you, the door slammed on her face.

"Rude." Muttered Rogue, now with the look of a fresh-at-work journalist completely washed out from her features.

Shrugging it off, she headed towards the forest.

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Maddock's house was one of the most weird-looking things Rogue had ever seen. It was all angles and lopsided roofs. The walls were painted in a dirty yellow, the roofs crowned with strange-looking ornaments, and the windows were asymmetrical. Aside from that, the abandoned belongings that were scattered on the ground, the broken glass, and the cracked and dried wooden planks made the house look like no one had maintained it for years.

Rogue raised an eyebrow at the sight of it.

Even though the place looked deserted, she still checked if there was a car parked nearby or if the lights were out in the house. When she felt asserted that no one was home, she dared to approach the house to investigate.

It was the backside of the house that had sustained damage from the fires, Rogue discovered. A black scourge mark adorned the wall, not severe enough to make a hole, but enough to make chips of coal fall off when she scratched the surface. The ground was also marked by the fire, clearly defined by a rim of fallen leaves that hadn't caught fire, circling around the patch. Some of the trees were blackened, almost to the top, giving a clear measure of how far up the fire had reached.

The damaged area wasn't so large, apparently the fire had been doused long before it had made any serious impact, but it certainly was a sight to be seen.

Rogue traced the marks with her gloved hands, coal dust blackening the white satin material. Accessing Logan's heightened senses once again, she smelled her fingers but couldn't detect any suspicious scent.

What could have caused the fire? There were nothing nearby that could accidently have caused it, like gas pipes or similar.

The lack of smells from different flammable substances, gases or liquids was certainly fishy. The traces of it could have been erased by the wind or other forces of the nature, or someone had hid their tracks very well… or it could be a mutant.

Rogue crouched and inspected the ground. Everything organic had transformed into ash and coal, making the mix of white and black turn the ground grey. She searched the ground and the nearby area after any clues of the culprit, anything that could have been dropped or left behind. The police could often be sloppy in examining the crime scenes, especially if it was local, so it was a good chance that Rogue could find something they had missed.

It took a few minutes before Rogue realised she was being watched.

Turning around, she saw an old white-haired lady, hanging out of one of the windows, looking at her curiously.

Rogue blushed, suddenly realising that this must be Lisa Maddock, who was at home and not absent as she thought she had been. Here. Looking at Rogue who had just trespassed upon her private land.

"Uhm…" Rogue began uncertainly, resuming her role of a clumsy and awkward journalist, standing up to fully face the old lady. She had the unnerving feeling of being caught red-handed. Lisa glanced at her with open curiosity, seemingly unconcerned of Rogue's uninvited presence.

"Are yah Lisa Maddock?" She asked the old lady, trying to look as embarrassed as possible, which wasn't so hard considering that Rogue shared the feeling somewhat with her fake character, Alice Smith. Lisa smiled.

"Are you a journalist?" She asked without answering Rogue's question. Rogue looked startled, and wriggled in her uncertainty.

"Uh, yes. From Wilkesby local newspaper. Ah'm Alice Smith." Though Rogue made a great show of a flustering young journalist, looking awkward and wide-eyed, she secretly processed Lisa's reactions and posture. There was no hostility in the old lady's face. Behind the wrinkles around the eyes, there was a spark of amusement and something less easily defined.

"Here to write an article about the strange fires, I presume." Lisa mused, smiling kindly at Rogue, like a mother to a child.

"Yeah." Rogue said tentatively, wondering if the water was safe enough to proceed, even though she had technically intruded on private land. When Lisa's open demeanour didn't change, she decided it was safe enough to take a leap and adopted the appropriate appearance of someone who'd just ask for a favour she wasn't certain she had the right to ask. "Ah'd hoped yah could do a small interview for meh. Nothing big, just need the general overview, that's all." Rogue added quickly, and looked at Lisa hopefully.

"Feel free to ask anything, my dear." Lisa granted and took up a cup of tea from a table that was out of Rogue's line of sight. Rogue beamed and hastily took out her pen and notebook and turned to a blank page.

"Okay." She wrote something in the notebook and then turned to Lisa. "Could yah tell meh your story of what happened here?"

"Well," Lisa started and leaned against the window frame, as if she was making herself comfortable for a long story. "I was sitting one Saturday evening in my living room, watching an old show of Oprah. I have a friend that likes the show and told me about the strangest things and I just had to see for myself if it really was true. The show was later than I'm usually…" And then she to ramble on about irrelevant details, telling her story in the most roundabout and lengthening way possible.

Rogue blinked and smiled politely, looking very interested on the outside, though she couldn't feel more frustrated on the inside. It didn't look like she could make the old lady speed up her story without being impolite, and she definitely couldn't cross that line when she had trespassed upon her land already, so she had to endure.

»_Dieu, kill m' now_.« A psyche in her head suddenly said.

Rogue's eyes widened and she almost gasped loudly at the sound of Gambit's voice echoing in her mind. Astonished, she stood frozen for several moments before she realised that she was looking a bit strange, freezing all of a sudden for no apparent reason.

She glanced worriedly at Lisa, who, luckily, hadn't noticed anything as she continued rambling with her story, and exhaled in relief.

Annoyed, she turned her focus inside to her mind, while trying to listen to Lisa's story, searching for Gambit's psyche.

»_Don't do that!_« She snapped angrily at him, consciously keeping her hands from balling into fists.

She could feel a wave of amusement radiating from the depths of her mind, teasing and annoying her to no end. It was an effort to not growl out loud.

»_Chère_,« He purred, thoroughly enjoying her reaction. »_Thought y' liked de sound of my voice_.«

»_Yah thought wrong then! Now stay quiet, so Ah can focus_« She hissed, turning her attention back to Lisa and her ramblings while pointedly ignoring him.

"…and it couldn't have been more surprising than the time when Maddy, one of my friends, came around for tea and brought with her a very strange-looking umbrella…"

How much more off topic could a person get?

Rogue sighed softly while trying to keep up the appearance of being interested. Her cheeks started to hurt by smiling for too long, and soon she dropped the smile, working her jaw to free herself from the stiffness. It didn't seem to matter how interested Rogue looked; the old lady would chatter on in any case. All she needed to do was to wait until she had covered everything irrelevant and reached the important parts of the story.

»_You'd think her jaw would fall off soon by all de talkin'_,« Gambit said in a slightly bored tone and projected the mental equivalent of a languid stretch.

»_Shut up, Cajun_.« Rogue thought reflexively.

»_C'mon, chère. Y're just as bored as I am_.« He cajoled, his tone filled with mirth. »_How 'bout we do somet'ing fun t' pass de time, neh?_« She could practically _feel_ him smirking.

She gritted her teeth, trying to remain calm.

»_You are just a psyche in mah head, and a very weak one Ah might add since Ah've only absorbed yah once. And Ah can tell yah that Ah will never, ever indulge your perverse fantasies in mah head as long as Ah live. And for clarification; that's a _no!«

»_Chérie,« _He hummed_. »I was t'inking somet'ing completely different… But now when y' put the thought in m' head, why won't we-_«

Bamh!

That was the mental wall Rogue slammed up, locking him in. It was more of a reflexive manoeuvre than a well thought out procedure, but it worked all the same. She was very sure she didn't want to hear the rest of _that_ sentence.

Probably something utterly perverse, filled with… filled with…

Lisa was staring at her incredulously, her head slightly tilted and her expression expectant, as if she just had asked a question.

_Shit!_

That damn swamp rat had distracted her enough for Rogue to forget about why she was here, and now she had probably missed the important parts of the story. Like, how the hell did it happen?

The white-haired lady kept staring at her and Rogue felt compelled to give an answer to the question she hadn't really heard.

"Uhu." She uttered, non-committal enough to give leeway to both a yes and a no. Lisa nodded contently. Apparently it was enough.

Rogue exhaled and her shoulders dropped when the tension loosened from her muscles. _Close call._

Why had the swamp rat's psyche surfaced all of a sudden? She had only absorbed him once, meaning that his psyche was fragile and weak. It was very rare that weak psyches could surface like that and hold a conversation with her. Most of the time, stronger psyches she had interacted with more butted in, jostling the weaker ones away.

How in the world had Gambit managed to surface then?

"…but I went back to my chair to continue to watch the show, and it was then I heard a strange noise. It sounded like hundreds of mice, eating my house, so I had to go up again and investigate. It was then I saw the fire through my window, and I immediately called nine-one-one. The firefighters came a moment later and saved my house, bless them, though I have this nice black mark on my house. It's very decorative, don't you think?"

"Right." Rogue agreed, inwardly thankful that the old lady had finished her rambling. "Did yah see anyone before the fire? Someone outside or a suspicious noise perhaps?"

" Yes, I've told you. I saw a shadow moving through the kitchen windows, but I didn't think much of it then."

"Oh. Did yah see a face? Or any distinguishing features, something easily remembered?" She pressed, hoping to get more clues. Maddock took a zip of her tea, peering at Rogue through lidded eyes with the look of someone who knew a secret, but wasn't sure if she was going to tell or taunt with it.

After a lengthened pause, she whispered with her old, hoarse voice,

"I know who it was."

Rogue blinked, surprised. Lisa grinned knowingly, the wrinkles around her mouth stretching into thin lines.

"Huh?" Rogue asked stupidly, but soon recovered from the small shock. "Ah mean, who? Who was it?"

"Trevor."

"Who?" She asked again, still confused.

"Trevor. My ex-gardener, who destroyed my rosebushes last year because I lowered his salary. He was a very bad at his job, and so it was only fair he should get less money for it. Though, he didn't agree and took revenge by mutilating my roses. Very rude, I must say, and I fired him for it. And now he's back to haunt me again!"

Rogue stared at the old lady, flabbergasted. She thought it was her gardener she sacked last year, who'd for some reason come back, _after a year_, and take revenge! Again!? Had she gone a little gaga in the head?

»_I don't understand. She says she knows it was this Trevor, but she just told us she only saw a shadow when she looked out of her window. That seems a bit weird_…«

"Yah said yah only saw a shadow when yah looked out through the window. How did yah realize it was… _Trevor_ if yah couldn't see him?" Rogue asked the old lady.

"Well, it must have been him! I can't imagine why anyone else would try and burn my house!" She sputtered vindictively.

"Uhm, right." _Can't imagine… _"Okay, so if yah don't have anything else to add…?"

"No, no, I think that was about it."

»_Thank god_!« A psyche in her head exclaimed loudly.

"Okay. Thank you for your time, it'll be a good article, Ah'm sure." Rogue smiled, and said a few more words of goodbye before she departed, relieved to be out of hearing range from the old chatty lady.

»_One more second and we would have died in here. Do you like to torture us_?«

Rogue didn't reply, walking with long firm steps, pinching her mouth shut.

»_Dear oh dear_, _she's giving us the silent treatment_.«

»_Oh look! Someone's trapped behind a mind wall here. Shall we free him?_«

»_Don't yah dare!_« Rogue snapped angrily, and sent out a mental glare.

The psyches grinned mischievously.

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The question was; did a mutant cause all the fires?

It could be Trevor, the vindictive gardener, coming back after a year for no reason whatsoever but to mess with his old weird, ex-employer's life.

Or it could be the strange old lady herself, setting her own house on fire for the attention.

It didn't have to be a mutant. But what if it was?

Rogue sighed. She needed a detective, or at least someone who could just figure it out. Rogue was a fighter, an X-man… woman, and she wasn't used to this kind of work.

»_As an X-man, you have to be prepared for anything and be able to manage even when the unexpected or unplanned gets in the way_.«

»_Oh, be quiet Scott_.« Rogue exasperated, rolling her eyes at him.

Though he was right. This was the test, her solo mission which she was entrusted to finish. Logan believed in her, he trusted her to be able to manage anything that came in her way. Even weird old ladies who maybe ran out in the night and set the forest on fire, and her house.

Okay, she needed to think. Clues? There were no clues, only a black scourge mark. No sign of any material used for ignition or fuel. It could mean that there were none, or the tracks had been hidden well.

She needed go and investigate the place again, at late night when no one could interrupt her search. Maybe she even could get lucky and catch the pyromaniac red-handed, burning down some other innocent trees or whatever.

It was a few hours left before it was dark Rogue could safely venture out in the woods without worrying about spying neighbours, so she decided to sit and kill some time at a local bar.

She found one, the only bar in town. It was moderately full, people coming in late after work to take a cold drink in the summer heat, sitting in the murky shadows of the bar. They all drank bears, and the few conversations that were heard were low-toned, only leaving a sound of indistinct murmurs. The furniture was all in oak wood, making a nice musty scent fill the room. The whole atmosphere was pleasant and kind of cosy.

Rogue sat down in one of the bar chairs, and smiled at the bartender to get his attention.

"What can I get you, darling?" He asked and wiped his hands on a dirty piece of cloth that hung from his belt. Rogue leaned on the bar counter, making herself more comfortable on the chair.

"Just a beer, thank you."

He nodded, quickly poured one and gave it to her.

She lazily twirled the glass in her hand, not really interested in drinking since she wasn't so fond of beer, but just for the sake of having something in her hands.

Though as always, some of the psyches in her head were really craving for beer and they drooled at the very sight of the full glass, pleading her to take a deep swig of it. She could refuse to meet all their needs, just pretend that she couldn't feel their cravings make her legs tingle and her mouth water, and just try and live a normal life. She could. But it would mean that they would piss and moan and make her life even more miserable than it already was. So, with a defeated sigh and half-hearted snort, she took a mouthful of the damn beer.

"You're not from around here, are you?" The bartender asked curiously, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. Rogue smiled and shook her head.

"Nah, from Mississippi originally. Moved out a couple of years ago and now Ah work at a newspaper bureau in a small town south of here." She lied easily, without slipping on the words.

"Oh, so you must be that journalist that just arrived. Allie, or was it Amy?"

"Alice, Alice Smith." She introduced herself and then gave a laconic laugh. "Boy, words do really get around here quickly." The bartender grinned.

"It certainly does. It's a small town and when outsiders arrive, it gets noticed." He glanced at her. "But you must know all about that if you also live in a small community. What was the name of the town again?"

"Wilkesby." She supplied without missing a beat.

"Never heard of."

"Ah'm not surprised." She hid her grin behind the glass and took a mouthful of the beer, trying not to grimace at the stale taste.

She exchanged a few more pleasantries with him before he excused himself to go and help newly-arrived customers and left Rogue alone.

She sat a few minutes alone, nursing her beer while inwardly watching the youngest of her psyches play around in her mind, though her gaze was fixed on the glass in her hand. It was kind of bizarre having one's own head as a playground, but the break from the most loud and annoying psyches made her tolerate it, even appreciate it.

Suddenly, the door opened and a short, stocky old man walked in. He was very squat, at least a head shorter than Rogue, and he was dressed in a black coat and a hat that obscured the sight of his face. With a limping gait he walked up the counter and sat down on the chair beside her. She glanced at him sideways, now able to distinguish his face under the hat. He was pockmarked, his nose broad and flat, his grey hair hanging out in tufts from beneath the hat and his eyes had a dull shade of grey, though she could decipher something more in them. A glint of intelligence, well hidden behind a mask of insignificance.

Rogue hid her face in the glass, her eyes lidded.

"A beer for me and a refill for the lady here." The man called out to the bartender with a rumbling voice, who acknowledged it with a nod. She peered at him from the side, apprehensively. What now?

The bartender served them the drinks and gave Rogue a playful wink before he disappeared again.

"Thank you." Rogue said to the man beside her, still not looking him full in the face.

"You're welcome." The man gulped down the beer and then sighed contently. "Ah, nothing better than a cold beer after a long summer day." He seemed to be in a talking mood.

"Are yah from around here?" She asked, obliging his indirect request for a conversation. What could it hurt?

"No, I'm an outsider just like you." He answered with a rumbling voice.

Rogue froze for a split second, before she forced herself to relax. She smiled, though a bit stiffly.

"Just like meh? What do yah know?" She asked with a feigned light-hearted tone, looking at him from the side. There was a tension between her shoulder blades, but she ignored it, trying to persuade herself that her cover hadn't been blown.

"I know that you arrived here yesterday, late evening." He said while fingering his glass, looking very relaxed. "I know that you've been around the neighbourhood all day, under the cover of being a journalist and I know that you have been asking Lisa Maddock a lot of questions about the fires."

_Shit, that's not good._

Rogue kept smiling, trying to keep up her poker face.

"Are yah saying that Ah'm not a journalist?"

"I'm saying that you're more than what you pretend." He glanced pointedly at Rogue's gloved hands that were neatly entwined upon the counter. Rogue reflexively balled them to fists and put them in her lap, out of sight.

He knew she was a mutant.

The skin on the back of her neck prickled, sending chills down her spine. Her mind started to race, replaying the past hours to try and remember if there had been any signs of being followed. How, how, how? She hadn't noticed anything. Then how did he know what she had done all day? How did he know she was a mutant? How did he know that she was under cover?

She looked at his profile squarely. He hardly seemed to notice her discomfort, his focus was on the glass in his hands.

_Okay deep breath. He's blown your cover, but it's not like he could hurt yah or anything. You're an X-man, you can take down anyone._

Having said that in her mind, the tension rolled off her like water and her mind cleared. The corner of her lips curled up in a small smile.

"What was your name again?" She asked, her chin resting on her gloved hand, elbow on the counter. The man grunted.

"Harold, Harold Quinn, at your service."

"Nice to meet yah, Harold." She grinned. "Ah suppose it's a pointless to introduce mahself as Alice Smith now." She peered at him underneath her lashes. "So how come yah know so much about meh?"

"'Cause I'm here for the same reasons as you." For the first time since they met, he met her gaze, levelly. Rogue cocked an eyebrow, suddenly very interested.

"Which is?"

"To stop the mutant who's been causing all the fires."

Rogue's stomach made flipflops, and she could practically feel the surge of adrenaline in her blood, heating her from the inside. So it _was_ a mutant who was guilty.

"Yah sure it's a mutant?"

"Yes, I am." He confirmed, his tone sure and unwavering. Excitement coursed through her, but she remained attached on her seat.

"So what are yah gonna do now?" She asked curiously, her voice traced with the pleasant thrill of revelation. Now she knew. Her mind reeled and she knew what she was going to do next, how her plan would be carried out and how it would end. And yet she remained still, chattering with the old man, hoping she would be able to drag out just a little more information that could be helpful.

"I'm an old fellow, my days of action are long pass. But my boss is very keen to eliminate all the threats to mutant's reputation, so he sends me to deal with this rogue mutant." Rogue winced a little at his choice of words, but he didn't notice. "I'm the best to handle predicaments like this, though I might not do the actual job itself, I always delegate the dirty work to someone else. I've got contacts. I know there is a crazy pyromaniac prowling these woods, burning everything at sight and it's just a matter of time before there's another conflagration and the police discover who's behind it. It would be defile the perception of mutants even more if this would become public. My boss is not so keen on that idea, so here I sit with a person who might be able to stop this renegade, before any accidents happen."

Rogue blinked, staring at him with a surprised look on her face.

"Are yah hiring meh?"

"Do you want money?" He countered.

"Ah don't need money." Rogue declared and met his gaze levelly. "Ah'm here because of mah work and Ah'll stop this mutant even if yah don't offer meh anything in return."

"Very well then." He drank up his beer and then turned to fully face her. "The mutant has been seen wandering in the northern parts of the woods. I'd search there if I were you."

Rogue nodded in acknowledgement, and he stood up to leave, but hesitated for a moment. Peering at her sideways he said, "When you have dealt with the mutant… Come and see me. I'd like to know when it's done."

"Why sho'."

"Thanks, I owe you one."

And with that, he left.

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»_So we're going out to kick some ass then?_« A psyche in her head asked eagerly. Rogue scowled and zipped up her combat suit.

»_Correction; _Ah'm_ going out, 'cause _Ah'll_ kick some ass_.«

»_Details, details_.«

Rogue snorted.

It was past midnight, the darkness was so dense it was almost impossible to even see your own hand in front of your face. The sky must have been cloudy, she figured, because there was no sight of the moon or the stars.

Rogue walked in the woods, listening intently for any sounds out of the ordinary. It was impossible to see anything, the world was completely devoid of light, so she had to carefully feel her way through to avoid stumbling over roots and stones.

It was a slow and arduous process, taking its share amount of time.

»_Rogue, why won't you like, use Dazzler's powers to light the way? It'll be much easier and faster that way.«_ Kitty's psyche suggested, while Rogue almost stumbled into a tree.

»_No, it'll give away my position not only to the mutant Ah'm chasing, but also to the whole neighbourhood. The forest isn't so dense it'll hide a bright light like Dazzler's.« _Rogue argued and continued to make her way through the vegetation.

She could almost feel the psyche's mull over the predicament and whisper to each other, trying to find a solution.

It took a while before one of them came up with an idea.

»_Why won't you use Gambit's powers? He can see in the dark and that won't give you away to anyone_.« Someone suggested.

»_Don't even think about it!_« She snapped heatedly. »_Ah am not going to let that _swamp rat_ loose in mah head again._« There was a small pause, uncertainty practically radiated from the psyches.

»_Uhm, he's already out_.« One of them said slowly, afraid of becoming target of Rogue's anger.

»_WHAT?_« She exclaimed loudly, her focus shifting entirely to the plains of her mind. »_Where is he?_«

»_He broke out a while ago, when you weren't paying attention_.« Another supplied hastily.

»_But Ah didn't feel a thing!_«

»_Well, he is a thief after all. Suppose it's his job to get through defence mechanisms undetected_.«

»_Where is he now?_«

»_Resting. It was strenuous for him to break free when he's such a weak psyche, but he did it anyway. Crazy man_. _I'd never do it_.«

Rogue cursed under her breath, halted mid-step and straightened herself. She could barely distinguish the shapes of the trees in the dark, no matter how much she tried to focus her eyes; the shadows were too thick. It was painfully obvious that she needed help to get through the wall of darkness without stumble herself to death, but no matter how much she racked her brain to find someone else than Gambit to help her, she couldn't find anyone.

She took her sweet time to curse and grumble over the injustice of it all, before she sighed, bit her lips and called out in her mind.

»_Gambit?_«

Only silence met her.

»_Gambit, where are yah?_« She tried again with a note of annoyance creeping up in her voice.

Still nothing. Rogue hissed in frustration.

»_Gambit!_« She yelled finally, her patience out of the window. Something shifted in her mind and she could feel his presence at the edges of her awareness.

»_Chère, I love to hear y' scream m' name_.« He hummed jovially, though his voice was hollow and thin of the strain. Rogue pressed her lips to a thin line, trying not to get riled up by his lewd comments.

»_Ah need your powers_.« She confessed evenly and flexed her fingers to get rid of the urge to ball them into fists. »_Can yah manage for a few minutes?_«

»_Bien sûr, anyt'ing f' de ladies_.« He smirked, she could feel it. But she ignored his comments and reached out to tap his powers.

It became immediately clear that she only had a few minutes before his powers would give out, he was too exhausted and spent to go on longer than that, but it would help as long as it lasted.

She opened her eyes and could finally discern her surroundings, even colours though they were a bit duller than in daylight.

Eagerly, she set out in a fast sprint, her steps not louder than the whisper of a wind against the soft, leaf-padded ground. Lithe like a cat, she jumped over obstacles, dodged branches and ghosted her way through the forest.

Even at her speed, she could see every detail of the forest; the leaves, the ribbed bark, the textured flecks of rock that showed beneath the thick layer of moss. It was all clear and sharp in her vision; nothing escaped her notice.

After a few moments of a fast pace, she reached the northern parts of the woods. Here, she slowed down to scrutinize her surroundings more thoroughly.

All of a sudden, something silvery flashed in the periphery of her vision and she turned around to see something metallic on the ground, dimly reflecting the almost nonexistent light from the clearing sky.

Intrigued, she bent down to examine the object that had caught her attention. It was a small plastic device, partly made of metal, with three buttons on the side and with a small display. Rogue twisted and turned it, trying to figure out what it was. Could it some kind of search device? Like a pager or some kind of GPS? It had a similar look of one.

She was just about to figure out the functions of the buttons, when she suddenly heard the faint echo of a voice.

It was distant, coming from a few hundred yards to the left of her and had an eerie, melodious rhythm.

Rogue sharpened her senses, trying to discern the muffled words. It took her a few seconds for her to realise it was somebody _singing_.

"Bah-da bah-da-da… Bah-da bah-da-da…"

The sound slowly became clearer as the origin of it came exceedingly closer to her.

"Monday, Monday, so good to me…"

Rogue stood up, her muscles tensing and her fingers tingling as she waited.

"Monday mornin', it was all I hoped it would be…"

The person singing came even closer, so close she could hear the rustling sound of leaves getting trampled.

"Oh Monday mornin'…"

The voice was loud and clear now, the person singing just behind a row of trees. Rogue slowly moved without making a sound, crouching a little to hide from direct eyesight. She readied herself in a battle position, her breathing slow and even.

"Monday mornin' couldn't guarantee…"

Rogue tried to catch the sight of the person, but shrubbery and trees blocked her view effectively.

"That Monday evenin'…"

She could hear the voice a few paces away, almost passing her hide-out.

"You would still be here with me…"

Tentatively, she edged closer.

"Every other day, every other day…"

She could see a shadow of a person move in front of her, but the person was still obscured from vision.

"Every other day of the week is fine…"

Suddenly, a loud crackling noise came from behind her, and Rogue caught her breath and swirled around.

It took only a fraction of a second before she realised it was a decoy, but a kick had already connected with her back, and she was sent flying. She hit the ground hard and rolled, winded and bruised.

She coughed, air rushing back into her lungs, and she braised herself against the ground. The hit had caused her to lose focus, and as Gambit's powers slipped from her grasp, her vision darkened.

"And the thing is… I didn't even eat the cheese…"

She hoisted herself up on one elbow, and turned around, back on the ground, to find the person singing, towering over her. Flames had erupted around them when she hadn't looked, and the backlight made the person only look like a tall shadow.

"Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way…" The mutant finished, the last notes of the song swallowed by the crackling of the fires.

The mutant looked down at Rogue with a glint in the eyes, a slow smile spreading.

Rogue swallowed hard and braced herself.

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**A/n**; Hello everyone, I'm back!

Wow, this chapter… how I have struggled with it. The reason it took so long to write was because at first, something was just _off_. I can't describe it, but every time I thought back at it, I just knew something was wrong with it but I couldn't figure out _what_ exactly. I mulled over it for days until I finally discovered where I had made the mistake, and then I quickly fixed it.

So now we're here. You could say that as of this chapter we're getting into part two of the story. Part one was kind of slow, just so I could have the chance to warm up the writing and adjust to all of this, which is still very new to me. Next part though, will have a higher pace and the Romy will start for real. Feel excited, 'cause it'll be fun and delicious.

I can also mention that this chapter is very, very important since it's the foundation of the upcoming chapters. Just so you know.

Next chapter;

Chapter 13; **Scent in the Wind.**

Rogue makes a huge discovery, and you'll find out what my Romy surprise is! Dun-dun-du-DUHN!

Oh, and let's have a little contest shall we?

The one who can **figure out who the mysterious enemy** is from this chapter will get a golden star and a **quick update**!

So, keep guessing. ^^

Hugs,

Fahne.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/n; **Okay then, it is not Pyro as everyone thought. I'm introducing a new Marvel character, you'll see.

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_Chapter Thirteen_

**Scent in the Wind**

---

_Once upon a time there was a pretty little girl who poisoned all she touched_

_Some called her Mary, others called her Typhoid_

_Every time she let out a sweet breath, someone else fell dead_

_She was sweet, she was toxic, she was Typhoid_

---

Rogue muttered some of Logan's favourite curses under her breath as she tried to protect her damaged cheek from the scourging heat the fires around her emitted. Pain seared through her veins from the burn, throbbing worse than Hell's own torture and it was an effort to not scream out loud in sheer agony.

Fire surrounded her from all sides, effectively eating away the forest, and it was spreading fast. Rogue had already used Storm's powers to create rain and douse the spreading catastrophe, but it was stubborn and refused to die without a fight.

She sucked in a breath through her clenched teeth as she accidently touched the burn on her cheek, hissed and spat as the pain doubled. She knew her cheek must look horrible, she has seen extensive burns before, but she rather didn't try to picture how the dead skin started to fall off her flesh and leave open a pink and white exterior. It wasn't a pleasant thought and when she accessed Logan's powers to heal the wound, she tried not to think of that dark and rubbery material falling off her face as her own skin.

Shuddering, only partly by the experience, she could finally sigh in relief as the pain vanished as if it never existed. Though her nose ached and itched as the smoke from the burning sap filled her nostrils, she couldn't be more thankful for Logan's healing factor at that moment.

She rubbed her cheek and was delighted to feel undamaged, smooth skin against the soft texture of her gloves. _Thank gawd!_ She thought and smiled. But slowly, her relief and delight were replaced by a teeth-grinding anger and she turned around to find the cause of her pain and misery. That damn excuse of a mutant had caught her completely by surprise, and thus resulting a scourged cheek, damaged pride and a fury like no other.

She balled her hands into fists, her knuckles stretching the fabric of her gloves, and when she caught sight of the mutant, she growled in a very Logan-like manner. The mutant stood a few feet away, a sea of fire separating them, smirking openly at her.

It was a woman, lean and tall, dressed in a bold mix of black leather, fishnets and belts. Her hair was long and had a vibrant, blood-red shade that practically glowed in the light of the fires. Half of her face had a sickly white colour and her skin was decorated with random tattoos on the neck, stomach and leg.

Rogue had learnt the hard way that she was a pyrokinetic, full control over fire as well as the ability to create and absorb it. She was also stark raving mad, without any regard for what damage her fires caused.

_Jus' wonderful_, Rogue thought bitterly as the mutant laughed manically when she came at her. They clashed in a blur of kicks and quick, hard punches. Blossoms of fire erupted everywhere, making it hard for Rogue to endure the extensive heat at such close quarters. Sweat dripped down her forehead, neck and back, droplets of it hanging down her bow, obscuring her vision.

The mutant's kick came in such a rapid succession, Rogue found herself hard-pressed to defend herself. Only flashes of black warned her of the incoming attacks, which she blocked and dodged as well as she could. Defence wasn't her primary strengths, though Logan had nagged at her countless of times to fix the problem.

One of the kicks had such a force that Rogue, despite digging her heals in the ground, skidded several inches across the soggy ground when she blocked the blow with both of her arms. Feeling excessively weary of always defending, she took the opportunity to attack herself. With the help of the momentum the kick caused, she arched backwards until she could plant her hands firmly on the ground. When she straightened her back, her feet flew upwards and connected hard with her opponents chin. The momentum and speed added strength to the attack and the mutant was sent flying, crashing hard against the ground feet away. Dead, dry leaves stirred up and were quickly eaten by the fires with a crackling noise.

It wasn't until then she noticed the extent of the fires; it had grown at an alarmingly high speed. Some of the smaller trees had almost been swallowed whole, only a blackened stump left to prove it had existed. Rogue accessed Storm's powers again to boost the already existing rain while she had the chance. The fires fizzled angrily as the rain beat down upon it.

Her enemy had regained her composure and stood up. Blood dripped down her chin from the corner of her mouth (she had probably bit her tongue when she was kicked) and wiped it off with the back of her hand, still smiling.

They clashed once again and this time Rogue retaliated even more fiercely.

The fight kept going, none of them surrendering and soon both of them started to wear out. Rogue was unable to access any other powers she had stored since she had to keep the rain coming with Storm's. It siphoned her energy even faster and it didn't take a genius to figure out that her time was about to run out at the same speed.

They had matching strengths, though Rogue was a tad bit faster contra to her enemy who had a bit longer reach than her. But she knew she could win; she only needed an opportunity to end it.

The mutant's kick hit Rogue hard in the abdomen and she skidded across the ground on her back. Before the mutant had the chance to throw a punch at her in her vulnerable position, Rogue braced herself from the ground with her hands and kicked her with both feet.

As the mutant was sent flying, Rogue dropped to the ground again. Her muscles had started to ache and it was only the adrenaline rush that kept her going. Stiffly, she crept up on her feet to slip back in a fighting pose. It took her a split of a second to realise that her enemy had already recovered and was aiming a flying kick at her. Rogue gritted her teeth.

_Now!_

She jumped off the ground towards her flying enemy. The kick skimmed her side as they passed, doing no real harm, but the mutant's neck slammed hard in the crook of Rogue's elbow, making the mutant halt in the air as her throat crushed against the joint. They both fell to the ground. Rogue landed elegantly on her feet but her enemy landed on her back, coughing as her throat tried to reassess itself to normal.

Rogue looked down on her serenely, feeling calm and collected. That move could crush a human's windpipe if it was strong enough, but it didn't seem to be the case this time. After a second of observation, Rogue took off a glove and crouched down beside the mutant. Their eyes met. Rogue could detect no fear or panic in the eyes of her enemy, though she could see that small spark of insanity.

She stretched out a hand to absorb the mutant, but suddenly, for no clear reason, her hand halted right above the face, hovering. Rogue frowned, not certain of what was happening. She tried again, but her hand just simply didn't move out of its position.

_What is going on?_ she thought, frustrated.

The mutant beneath her smirked viciously, her eyes gleaming in an open satisfaction.

It was then Rogue noticed something; small nudges in her mind, soft as feathers and so light it went almost undetected. They prevented her to lower her hand, persuaded her it wasn't needed. Almost like, like… Rogue eyes widened.

_She's trying to mind control meh!_

With a fierce growl Rogue grabbed her face roughly, not caring if it would cause any more pain.

The damns of her mind burst, memories flooded her consciousness, but she let them; she embraced them.

The world twisted and turned. Colours flashed before her eyes, murmurs and screams sounded in her ears and sensations flowed and passed like a swift river. It was never easy, but she forced herself to succumb to the flow and enter another world that wasn't hers.

Flash.

"_Who are you?"_

Twitch.

"_I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you're not the same person we came here with."_

Twist.

"_Typhoid! Restrain yourself!"_

A flashing light and piercing scream.

"_It's a secret…"_

A deafening sound, strong enough to bloat out all sense of reality.

_Who are you…?_

A laugh.

"_This is not the time! Deal with it!"_

A profound, impenetrable darkness.

"_There's something I always wanted to tell you…"_

There was a pinprick of light that grew and grew, until it seemed to encase the whole world.

"_**BURN!"**_

Rogue gasped and pulled free. The world spun before her eyes, making her nauseous. For a sickening moment she could neither control nor feel her limbs, as she wasn't fully connected with her body yet.

Moments passed without any change. A stomach-turning panic got hold of her and she breathed heavily, and then, she was fully united with her body again with a sigh of relief.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. A blue grey sky appeared in her field of vision, and blackened, naked tree tops that reached for above. Numbness started to fade from her limbs and she realised that she was on her back, the ground merely a cold, hard sensation beneath her.

When she tried to stand up, exhaustion hit her like a riptide, almost making her to drop to the ground again. With laboured groans, she stubbornly crept up on her feet, ignoring the pangs of discomfort it caused. Memories were still floating around in her mind, but she ignored them, firmly putting them aside for the moment. Her arm and side were tingling as blood returned and she flexed and moved her muscles and joints to speed up the process.

The scenery around her had abruptly changed. The fires had been doused by the rain, leaving a good portion of the forest blackened and damaged. The ground was covered in a sooty mud and the air was humid after the rains.

Rogue looked down. The mutant laid sprawled on the ground beside her, her tussled red hair covering the white half of her face. She was unconscious and it would probably take a couple of hours before she wakes up.

Her name was Typhoid Mary, so much had Rogue gotten from the memories. The rest was a muddle of discarded impressions and thoughts, but it had to be sorted out later. Rogue was too exhausted to go through them all then.

She picked up the small plastic device she had found before. After pressing a button she tossed it on the ground beside Typhoid. The device would send a signal to her people, who would come and pick her up. There was no explanation of how Typhoid had arrived at these woods from her memories, she simply woke up there one day. That was a mystery in itself, one Rogue wasn't willing to try and solve just yet.

She sighed heavily, glanced a last time at her fallen enemy and then left. Dreams of Typhoid's life awaited her.

*

*

*

*

*

_Rogue had always thought of herself as the worst of thieves. Her ability made it possible for her to steal the very essence of people, their memories, hopes and dreams. Whatever they treasured, whatever they shied from, whatever they tried to repress; she could steal. Nothing was kept sacred. Rogue could intrude on humans' last sanctuary; the mind._

_She was keenly aware of the guilt that burdened her as she skimmed through Typhoid's memories. It laid a heavy pressure on her mind, made her feel sick and dirty. But she pulled through anyway, she had to._

_Memories flashed by her in a rapid success. Despite Rogue had held on to Typhoid for such a long time, she still couldn't find any childhood memories. The earliest memory she could find was from a hospital, when she was already fully grown. _

Strange, _she thought, incredulous, and continued to skim through the memories._

_Surprisingly enough, a majority of the memories were short and intense, beginning and ending with darkness. It was like she had blacked-out her whole life, waking at strange places with people she didn't recognise. Though she seemed to take it like an everyday occurrence. _

_Rogue's mental parallel of herself shook her head. She couldn't figure out what it all meant._

_More memories. More fire. More screams and laughter._

_But suddenly, something caught Rogue's interest. It was a recent memory, only a week old or so, regarding a strange meeting._

_Curiosity overtook her and she plunged into the memory._

*

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*

*

*

She opened her eyes to find herself yet again in an unfamiliar setting she had no idea how she had gotten at. It was a conference room without windows, and with only one exit; a plain wooden door. The room was cramped with a table in the middle that devoured almost all the space.

She sat in a comfortable chair at the table, strangers surrounding her. They were an odd bunch, everybody clearly mutant with their unusual styles of hair and clothes. One or two of them had a certain air, something that set them apart from the rest of the crowd. They were probably leaders to the rowdy bunch. _Authority figures_, she thought with a sneer.

But no one noticed her. Everybody's attention was fixed at a man, standing at the end of the table. He was middle-aged but his hair had already greyed and wrinkles had already appeared on his sturdy face. He seemed to be in the middle of a presentation of something important. Behind him was a large screen, currently displaying a picture of a giant robot. Probably the object of his presentation.

She leaned back in her chair, making herself comfortable. The grey-haired man gave the impression of having a very long, long speech.

The man sitting beside her had noticed her brief act of confusion and leaned forward to whisper, "Mary, is it still you?"

She flashed him a sultry grin in reply and he coughed in comprehension.

"I guess not, then." He tossed a fleeting glance at the grey-haired man before he continued. "We've been assigned to attend this meeting and hear him out," he beckoned to the man at the end of the table. "- and see if what he sells is anything of value. He has just explained the security of his facility where he keeps it. Latest technique, he has sensors that can tell if any mutant activity occurs on the facility area. If you just made a sparkle with your powers, the alarms would go off immediately." He explained enthusiastically and leaned closer. "Rhavain must be telling the truth when he says he's about to auction the most valuable product in mutant history if he's so serious with the security."

She wasn't really interested in anything he said, but she made a good appearance of a person who's paying attention. Adding to the effect, she leaned closer to give him a better view of her cleavage.

"The most valuable product in mutant history? What could that possibly be?" She asked sweetly. His gaze flitted between her face and her cleavage and he swallowed, looking very nervous all of a sudden.

She grinned in her mind. He was way too easy.

"Well, it's the blueprints of the new sentinel, he keeps at the Rhavain facility. A sentinel that targets humans instead of mutants. It's the perfect weapon to start a war between humans and mutants! Think of what we could do if we had those. Though it's costly. The blueprints are going to be auctioned as of tomorrow for three weeks, starting bid at 1,5 millions. Highest bidder gets the blueprints." He frowned in a thoughtful look. "I wonder how much money our organisation has."

His mind seemed to wander, and she lost interest of him. He had told her everything he knew and that's all he could ever give her. With a grin she sat his arm on fire and laughed heartedly. His screams of agony was music to her ears.

*

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*

When Rogue woke up she was drenched in sweat, her lips were dry and the bed sheets had tangled around her legs. She had a moment of confusion when she thought she was still back in the conference room, the screams of the burning man still echoing in her mind when she finally remembered that she was back at her hotel room. Relief overcame her, and she relaxed back into the soft bed mattresses.

All morning, ever since she got back from the forest, she had processed Typhoid's memories in her sleep. It had taken up all her sleep and she didn't feel rested at all afterwards.

Then, Typhoid's memory suddenly tumbled into clarity.

A sentinel that targets humans. And the blueprints for it were to be auctioned to highest bidder, which could be anyone with a nefarious mind!

The scope of it all made her mind blur in haze realisation. It was big. She had accidently stumbled upon something really huge this time.

She had to call the Professor immediately!

When she leapt off the bed, the sheets around her legs hampered her flight and she dropped to the floor with a dull _thud_. She muttered some profanities under her breath while she scrambled up on her feet and kicked off the sheets. What in the world did the sheets have against her?

"Where is mah phone?" She asked out loud when she had disentangled herself from the cottony mess, standing only in a pyjamas on the cold, wooden floor. She swirled around in search for it and spotted it on her nightstand, where she had dumped it a few hours prior the fight in the woods.

But when she stretched out to take it, hesitation suddenly struck her.

She stared at the phone beneath her hovering hand, biting her lip, she thought more carefully about the information she had stolen.

She closed her eyes and recalled the memories she had viewed so intimately, images flashing behind her eyelids.

Blueprints of the sentinel…

Rhavain facility…

Had she heard of it before?

The blueprints were kept safe in the Rhavain facility somehow. No mutants could use their powers in the nearby area without triggering the alarm.

It was obvious that the blueprints needed to be destroyed before someone bought them and manufactured those vile machines and consequently creating a war. But how was it possible to destroy them if they were kept safe with such sophisticated technology? If she called the Professor, he would send a team into the facility to destroy it. Typhoid had made a brief visit to the facility, and with the help of that memory, Rogue knew that the X-men didn't have a shot at infiltrating the facility without getting caught.

The X-men relied upon their mutant powers, it was what made the X-men the X-men, so they would undoubtedly trigger the alarms because they knew no other way.

And even if they did manage to escape somehow, the media would get scent on it and create big headlines.

"Muties gone berserk!", "Infamous X-men start war!".

There was no telling how the media would blow it up, but there was one thing that was certain; it would not be beneficial for the X-men's cause.

No, she needed to think this over.

With a pensive expression she removed her hand from the phone and started to pace about the room.

They couldn't try and buy the blueprints themselves, Rhavain would know immediately it was them and call it off. If they would tell the truth to people, no one would believe them.

No, they needed to break in and destroy the blueprints. That's the only way. But to break into the Rhavain facility it required some subtleness and skill without powers.

She nibbled her lower lip.

She could probably do it. With the help of Typhoid's memories and some research, she could probably do it. The only problem was… How the hell would she convince the Professor of it? He would protest, she knew. It was a risky endeavour and the possibilities of what could go wrong were endless. Nothing was for certain. Sending out just one X-man alone on such a dangerous mission; it was doubtful he would sanction it. But she needed to try anyway.

When her mind was made up she quickly dialled the number to the mansion and waited.

_Biiip…_

She had to convince him somehow. It was her mission from start, wasn't it? No matter where it lead.

_Biiip…_

And she was apt and vigilant. This mission would be a piece of cake, at least for her.

_Biiip…_

Though the security was rather heavy, she could manage somehow.

_Biiip…_

If she got enough time to prepare. And backup plans. Lots of those. Any number of things could go wrong.

_Biiip…_

_Crap, Ah must be crazy to do this_, she exclaimed in her mind. But it needed to be done and she was the best candidate.

"Xavier's institute." Scott's voice answered.

"Uh, hi Scott." She greeted tentatively.

"Hello, Rogue. How's your mission coming out? Nothing's wrong, I hope?"

"No, no. Everything's fahne. Listen, could Ah speak with the Professor for a sec? There's something Ah wanna ask him."

"Sure. Hang on a second."

She heard a clicking sound and then silence for a while before Xavier answered.

"Hello, Rogue. I trust everything is fine with you?"

"Yeah, everything's fahne, jus' peachy." She reassured him. "Ah found out that it was a mutant behind it all and took care of it."

"Excellent, I'm glad to hear it. Are you to come back now?"

"Uh, well, not yet. Yah see… Ah absorbed the mutant who was behind it all and happen to come over something interesting."

"What could that be?"

"Well, I took me a while to sort through the memories. Ah'm… Ah'm pretty certain she had MPD, that's why her memories were so fragmented."

"Multiple Personality Disorder?"

"Yeah."

"How very interesting. Did you by any chance find out how many different personalities she had?"

"Three or four Ah think, but Ah'm not certain."

"And when you absorbed her, you only got the personality that was active, I take it?"

"Yeah."

"Fascinating! I think Doctor McCoy will agree with me on this. Unless you object to share the information with him?"

"No, no. Share away."

"Very well. Now, what did you find out?"

Rogue told him about the blueprints to the sentinel, about the auction, where it was located and what kind of security protected it. When she was done there was silence. Rogue could almost hear the Professor process the information. She waited impatiently for an answer, constantly tugging back a sling of hair behind her ear.

"Well," He said at length. "This is indeed a problem. Rhavain is a multi-millionaire and he owns companies that produce military vehicles and weapons. He was one of the men who were behind today's sentinel that targets humans, so I can understand that he could design this new sentinel. He doesn't care what happens to the world afterwards. His only concern is to get more money and this, I must say, is a very profitable method.

This sentinel could without doubt cause a massive attack against humanity and they would retaliate with means of their own. It would be war. Rogue, it's essential that these blueprints are destroyed. How much time do we have before the auction closes?"

"Less than two weeks."

"And it's in the Rhavain facility it is kept. We need to get in there. But the question is; how? If the security is as such it can detect mutant activity, how is it possible to get in? That is the major problem."

Rogue held her breath. This was her opening! With a firm voice she declared, "Professor, Ah can do it."

"Rogue?" His tone held unveiled surprise.

"Ah can do it." She repeated. "Ah have the necessary abilities to pull it off. Ah can do it, Ah know Ah can."

"Absolutely not!" He exclaimed. "I will risk none of my students on such a risky mission."

"But Ah'm not a student anymore! Ah'm a senior as of this mission. Ah've grown and Ah know what Ah can and cannot handle, and _this_ Ah can handle." She pressed. She was not about to give up without a fight.

"I am aware of how much you have grown, Rogue. But this mission calls for someone experienced."

"Ah am experienced!" She exclaimed before she could stop herself. Biting her lip, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. In a calmer voice she continued, "Ah'm not sure how much yah know of mah past, Professor, but Ah bet you have made some guesses. This… This was a part of mah training back then. Breaking in, that is. Ah'm not a novice in this field, Ah've done it before. Just give meh a chance and Ah can prove it. Ah can prove to you that Ah wanna be a part of the X-men and do good. Ah just need a chance, that's all." The plea was prominent in her voice.

Silence followed and worry started to nag her mind.

"Rogue," The Professor finally said and she held her breath in anticipation. "I still don't think this is a good idea. You, alone on this mission? Anything could happen and we would never find out in time."

"But Ah can find help!" She hesitated for a second before she continued. "Ah know someone who can give meh help. Ah promise Ah won't do this on mah own." Desperation had started to creep into her voice, to her great dismay, but she paid it no mind and prayed that the Professor would accept. Another silence came and this time she almost started to chew on her gloves. Her determination had only grown through their conversation and now she would gamble everything to get his consent. She needed this, a chance to prove for real that she was serious about the X-men. And now, the chance was within her sight, screaming at her to take it. The only thing she needed was the Professor's authorization… and part of his finances. She had already made a quick calculation in her mind on how much the mission could cost.

After what felt like an eternity for Rogue, the Professor finally spoke up.

"Okay. You have my consent." He relented. Rogue could barely contain a yelp in triumph.

_Yes!_

"But!" The Professor continued with a warning in his tone. "There are some conditions you have to agree with first."

"Okay," Rogue answered soberly.

"First of all, you'll keep contact with the institute and frequently report how the mission is progressing."

Rogue uttered a sound in acceptance.

"Secondly, you'll notify me when you get help. You are not allowed to take on this mission alone."

Another sound.

"Thirdly... If the risks become too great or the mission becomes too dangerous; you'll pull out."

"But-" She exasperated but was interrupted.

"I need your word, Rogue." He insisted in a firm voice.

"But-"

"No buts. Promise me you'll follow these conditions."

She hesitated, racked her brain for a counterargument. None came up and desperation finally won out.

"Okay," She agreed in a defeated tone. "Ah promise."

She could hear the Professor exhale softly as if he had been holding his breath.

"Good. Report back to me within the next 48 hours."

"Will do." She hung up the phone and fell down on her bed. _Ah did it!_ She triumphed and laughed. His last condition had made her hesitate; so much could go wrong but she didn't want to pull out even if it happened. But now… Now she was ready to embark on her new mission. As long as nothing would go wrong, she could prove herself. All she needed was a helping partner.

"Ah need to go and see Harold," She thought idly. He'll know what to do.

*

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*

She waited until evening came before she went down to the pub where she had met Harold before. She had a feeling he wasn't much of a morning person.

When she opened the doors to the bar she spotted him immediately, sitting at a table in the corner, fiddling his beer. She strode up to him and sat down on the chair opposite of him.

"Hello, Harold." She smiled pleasantly as he looked up at her.

"Well, well," He drawled good-naturally with a toothy grin. "Isn't it Miss South. What can I do for you, darling?"

"Ah've come to share the good news that the woods are now safe from any threats to society." Her smile turned to the wicked. "With a little help from mah department."

He laughed, a deep rumble from his chest.

"Well, that is good news indeed! Let's celebrate!" With a whistle he caught the barman's attention and beckoned. Rogue leaned back on the chair and crossed her legs in a relaxed manner. A moment later, two jugs of beer were served at their table. _More beer_, she thought, disgusted, and only sipped her drink politely. Harold took a deep swig and sighed contently as he swallowed the beverage.

"So," He said at a length. "Were there any problems?" He inquired civilly.

Rogue shook her head.

"No, none whatsoever."

"Good, good."

They chatted idly for a few more minutes, polite talk, nothing personal.

When the conversation made a pause Rogue, who saw her chance, schooled her expression to a more serious one and changed the tone of her voice to a "let's talk business" tone.

"Harold, yah said yah owed meh a favour before." She reminded him, without dancing around the subject. "Ah need to collect now."

He scoffed. "So soon?" With a grunt he shifted positions in his chair and looked at her with renewed attention. "Well then?"

She hesitated, not sure how to proceed. "You're a man of many contacts." She began and he acknowledged it with a nod. "It happens to be so Ah need help… to break into a building."

"What building?" He asked and sipped his beer. Rogue licked her lips and whispered,

"The Rhavain facility."

Harold's eyes widened and he choked on his drink and spat it out in a white cloud, which Rogue neatly dodged.

"The Rhavain facility?" He hissed after recovering from a rather violent coughing episode. She nodded and smiled disarmingly to the customers who had turned their head to them to inquire about the noise Harold had made.

"Yes, the Rhavain facility." She confirmed when their attention had turned back to their drinks. Harold wiped his mouth with his sleeve and leaned closer.

"Listen, girl. Whatever you're planning; drop it. There's not a soul on this earth who can break into that building. It's just flat out impossible."

Rogue frowned. "But there has to be _someone_," She pressed, feeling apprehension nag her mind. He made it sound very difficult, even more so than she had initially thought. Maybe this would become a problem.

He shook his head.

"No, there is none, mutant or human alike and I know everyone in this business. Listen, Rhavain is obscenely rich and has too much time on his hands. You have no idea how much money he has spent on securing that building. He produces freaking military toys for a living, for crying out loud. How do you think his facility looks like? That building could probably survive a nuclear bomb of Hiroshima's capacity, without so much as a scratch. The only sane you can do is to _drop it_ and go home."

"So, no one can help meh?" She asked, pressing further.

"None. You're on a suicide mission and only divine intervention can help you there."

Rogue could hear the finality of his words and she couldn't help but to feel a wave of disappointment overcome her. She hadn't expected this. But she waited a moment to see if he would change his mind and out of the blue come up with a solution after all, but his face could have been cut in stone by the looks of him. Defeated, she nodded and rose from her seat.

"It was nice meeting yah, Harold." He didn't meet her gaze and she walked out of the pub, feeling sorely thwarted.

»_What now?_« A voice in her mind asked. She shrugged dejectedly.

»_Ah don't know_.« She answered in a morose tone and started to walk down the street.

She didn't come far before she heard a voice behind her call for her. Surprised, she turned around to see Harold hurrying towards her, his cheeks flushed by the sudden rush to catch up with her.

"Maybe there's someone who can help you," He breathed as he reached her. Rogue raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. "He has just come back from a quick job in Europe and you can find him at this address now." He pressed a piece of paper in her hand with an address to a bar scribbled on it. _Chicago?_ She thought incredulously.

"And he can help meh?" She asked, glancing at him, not certain if the small piece of paper really was her golden key to the future she had just dashed a minute ago.

"If he can't, no one can. But I must warn you, he's very expensive to hire."

"What does he work as?"

"Thief, the best in this country."

"Oh. Thank you," She said, grateful, and pocketed the paper. Harold waived his hand.

"Don't mention it. Just don't get killed, I'd hate to be the reason for it."

She smiled and nodded.

"Sure will. Take care of yah, old man." They separated, but after only a few steps Rogue realised she had forgotten something.

"Wait!" She called after him. He stopped. "Who will Ah ask for?" Even at a distance she could see his grin and he answered in a cheerful tone.

"Why, _Le Diable Blanc_ of course."

*

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**A/n; **Dun-dun-duh-DUHN! Aha! How many of you anticipated all of this? None, I assume!

Okay, short intro to people who are unfamiliar with Typhoid Mary.

Typhoid Mary is one of Marvel's many crazed pyromaniacs (see, there are several). She originated from the Daredevil series but then joined the Shadow Initiative in the "Avengers; The Initiative" series and also appeared in "House of M; Avengers". Her real name is Mary Walker (middle name; Alice) who worked as a prostitute when Daredevil accidently knocked her through a window. During her recovery her mind split into four different personalities. Mary Walker (timid and defenceless), Typhoid Mary (lustful and adventurous, has access to mutant powers) and Bloody Mary (vicious and strong, also has access to mutant powers). There's also a fourth personality which embodies all the personalities traits. She was the mysterious Mutant Zero in the Avengers series.

Wolverine coined her character pretty neatly once. Here's what he said;

"Here's the lowdown. Mary's yer friend, Typhoid seduces you intending to kill you, and Bloody Mary just hates all guys. Don't let yer guard down around her for a second, 'coz one o' her nastier selves could pop out and you could find yerself missin' a body part or two you'd have rather kept. She fools my senses too."

Very fun! See it as a cultural experience. ^^ (if you want to find out more about her, search for "Typhoid Mary (comics)" at Wikipedia)

Next chapter;

**Chapter 14; A Deal with the Devil**

Pretty self-explanatory. Rogue'll get a nasty surprise in form a ragin' Cajun!

Though I'm sorry to say I'm going on vacation tomorrow to no man's land for three weeks (or no man's island, I suppose) and I won't have access to either internet or a TV. I feel so blessed *cough* Anyway, the point is it will be a while before the next update, but I'll try and write while I'm away with my stone-aged pen and paper. Hopefully, it'll be a quick update when I get back.

Until then,

Fahne


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter Fourteen_

**A Deal with the Devil**

---

Rogue read the small piece of paper in her hand again. _Le Diable Blanc_, it said, beneath an address to a bar in Chicago. Her eyebrows were knitted into a small frown and her lips mouthed the words.

_Le Diable Blanc._

She didn't know this person, had never met him before and yet she already depended so much on him. That was why she was now strolling around in Chicago's backstreets in search for the bar, in where she was supposed to find him.

_Crap_, she thought for the umpteenth time. _This is not one of mah brightest ideas. Shit, shit, shit._

Similar thoughts had raced through her mind ever since anxiety had overcome her. But despite all her muttering and curses, she still kept going. The thought of the mission she had been entitled pushed her past all the doubts and second thoughts. Nervousness was just another obstacle to overcome. Though it still didn't keep her from muttering every profanity she could come up with.

_Le Diable Blanc. The white devil? What kind of a name is that? God dammit!_ She hissed as she realised she must've walked past the street she was looking for.

After her conversation with Harold, she had gotten home late night and packed her bags. The very next morning she had left for Chicago. When she had arrived she had checked in on a fairly good hotel, taken some time to prepare herself and then went out in the big city to find her potential partner in crime.

After some involuntary sightseeing, Rogue finally found the entrance to the bar in a small, littered back alley she had at least passed three times, insignificant as it was. The door was simple and painted in a dull grey that camouflaged it perfectly to the brick wall around it, unnoticed to anyone if you weren't specifically looking for it. Rogue realised it must be a backdoor and not an entrance as she had come to believe. Why she had to go through the backdoor and not the entrance was beyond her. Maybe Harold had made some kind of mistake.

She paused in front of the door, giving herself a moment.

_This is it_, she thought_. Mah one and only chance to get this mission on the road_. _If Ah can't this person to help me, Ah just might as well pack mah bags and go home and dammit if Ah won't do mah best and persuade him._

After a deep breath she gathered all her determination and walked inside.

At first sight it was clear that Rogue was notably underdressed in comparison to the people that dwelled inside. The place looked like a hideaway nest for rich people to come and spend all their money on gambling, in poker or pool. It was clear that the customer's status was undeniably weighted by the expensive clothes and amount of jewellery they wore. It didn't take more than a glance to confirm the amount of money in the poker pots and the lackadaisical expressions the players wore that these people played with high stakes and were indifferent to how much money they lost. Rich bastards. A more seasoned player could probably make a living in places like this.

When Rogue made her way through the crowd her ordinary appearance earned a lot of snide glances and scornful muttering. She pointedly ignored their glowers, tossed them off with a shrug and walked pass them, to the bar.

"Hi, Ah'm looking for someone with the name _Le Diable Blanc_." She told the bartender. "Can Ah find him here?"

The bartender, equally luxuriantly dressed as his customers but in a uniform, gave her a slow onceover while polishing a wineglass, before he beckoned to a dark corner of the room with a nod, not bothering to say a word. Rogue nodded curtly, a bit peeved but decided to let it pass.

The poker table in the corner was occupied with a game already, rich men and women betting for all they're worth. Rogue approached carefully, trying to figure out which one of them who was the mysterious _Le Diable Blanc_ she was looking for. None of them struck her as a thief. Their fingers were way too discordant and chubby. Heavy rings weighing them down, long impractical nails and whatnot, not as lean and deft as she imagined a thief's fingers to be.

Rogue scrutinized the table, looking for a pair of fingers that could match the picture in her mind. About a moment later she spotted them, conveniently hidden by a large pile of poker marks. Her gaze followed the hand, up to the arm and the face the hand belonged to. She frowned as she couldn't discern the face, obscured with shadows as it was, and stepped forward to get his attention.

She stopped mid-step as recognition suddenly struck her like a thunderclap. The planes of the face, the straight nose and the angled jaw she most definitely recognised as Gambit.

His red eyes wandered and then just by chance landed on her, their eyes meeting. The widening of his eyes almost outdid hers.

"_Chère_?" He marvelled, astonishment evident in his expression. Apparently he didn't expect to see her either.

Rogue's first impulse was to bolt, to run the heck out of there so she didn't had to explain this dreadful mistake. Instead she blurted, "It's you!" quickly followed by a scowl, her eyes shut tightly as the obviousness of her statement rang as silly as it was in her ears.

Gambit looked exactly the same as when she first had met him, though a bit differently dressed and with an uncharacteristic inability to speak. His diabolic eyes were unveiled to the public eye and were glowing softly as he was taking in the sight of her.

_Holy mother of all hells._

"_Chère_, what are y doin' here?" He asked, looking at her as if he couldn't believe it was her.

Rogue was about to scream something in the lines of "What are _you_ doing here?" but then everyone's looks turned to her and in her profound embarrassment she couldn't get past the first "Err".

"'_Scusez moi, mesdames et messieurs_." Gambit mumbled to his company and left the table. "Follow me." He whispered in her ear as he took her arm and dragged her out of there. Rogue followed without resistance, too shocked to make any objections.

He hauled her through a door, towed her through corridors and didn't stop until he reached an empty guestroom where he shoved her in, gently, without ceremony. He shut the door behind them and turned to her, his eyes inquisitive.

"What are y' doin' here, _chérie_?" He repeated and stepped closer. Rogue held up her hands in the air, partly to stop him from coming too close and partly to pledge her innocence.

"Uhm, sorry Ah didn't- Ah mean Ah'm looking for someone! He goes by the name _Le Diable Blanc_."

"_C'est moi_." He admitted, his eyes now twinkling with unconcealed amusement. Rogue blanched and took a step back.

"Oh." She simply said, her thoughts slow and thick as a mud. "Well," She took another step back as he came even closer. "There was this, uhm, Ah mean, like,"

The corner of his mouth curled up in a grin as she flustered, his gaze shifting between her eyes to her lips. Distracted as she was by his attention, Rogue didn't notice how close to the wall she was until she backed right into it.

"Would yah stop that?" She finally exclaimed, trying to ignore the feeling of the taut muscles of his abdomen as he walked into her raised hands. He stopped and quirked a questioning eyebrow.

"Stop what?"

"Invade mah personal space!" She exasperated and tried to shove him, but he proved immovable. Her temperament flared and she felt more at ease when the familiar rush of anger stabilized her to a more accustomed mind-set. Her brows were knitted into a disapproving scowl and she growled in a low, warning tone as he remained as close as ever.

"Y' didn't seem to mind last time." He murmured and a mischievous glint entered his eyes.

Rogue's scowl deepened. _So this is what it's about_, she thought irately.

Last time they had met had been in a club where she had been a lot more inviting than she usually was, because of well, to be honest; alcohol and a mind-set to rebel and do the most outrageous thing she could think of, i.e. fraternize with the enemy. Then it had seemed like a very good idea, just the disapproving look of Scott if he found out about it made her run straight ahead, heedless of the consequences. In the end she had kissed Gambit, someone who needed no further encouragement, passed out and had been left helpless in his arms.

She could see that he could've been deceived by her behaviour back then, but nonetheless she needed to set the record straight. _Time for some damage control_.

"Listen carefully, swamp rat. Last time we met Ah was drunk, pissed off at mah life and happened to be willing to do things Ah don't normally do. It won't happen again," She poked him hard in the ribs to emphasize her point. "So get it through yah thick head, there will be no more of such… _interaction_ between you and me. So stop looking at me like that and back off."

"Looking at y' how?" He asked, unruffled by her demonstratively venomous behaviour.

"Like that," She gestured at his face. "Like you're thinking of something… unwholesome."

He laughed, a deep rumble of his chest. With the ease of a cat he passed her defending arms like they weren't even there, sandwiching her between him and the wall.

"Y' haven't been inside m' brain since y' laid that kiss on me. I've got all sorts of new thoughts in dere now." He purred, thoroughly enjoying her beat red blush and flustered looks.

"Stop it then!" She snapped, frustrated, and pushed him off her just enough so she could duck and sidle pass him. With her back against him she gave herself a moment to suppress the blush that warmed her cheeks, telling herself that she wasn't at all affected by his behaviour. _Stupid, stupid swamp rat_, she hissed in her mind, gritting her teeth.

When she had cooled off a bit she surveyed the room for the first time since she got there.

It was nicely furnished, with two leather couches facing each other in the middle of the room, with a small table in between. There were some bookshelves standing against the walls, filled with different books of general topics and common interests. Random paintings hung on the walls, depicting varied beautifully painted sceneries. A tray with glasses and a decanter full of what she guessed was bourbon was standing on a small table to the side.

She dumped herself on one of the couches, deliberately slouching to show her indifference. After about two breaths she had managed to gather some escaped composure, enough at least to set her expression into a serious and unconcerned look. _That_ swamp rat had no hold on her, she would show him.

"So, what are y' here for, chère?" He whispered in her ear from behind, making her jolt in the air and shatter every sense of serenity she had managed to assemble. How could he move so silently?! Nerves tingling and with a reawaken mood she turned to him.

"Ah came to-" The words suddenly jammed in her throat as she realised what she was about to say. Ask for your help? Unthinkable! With pinched lips, she glowered at him like it was entirely his fault she was in this predicament now.

Gambit only shrugged, immune to her venomous glare, and served himself some bourbon from the table at the side and a glass to her as well. He sat down on the couch to the opposite of her and pushed her glass towards her. Rogue barely deigned it with a glance before she resumed her death glare.

"I assume y' didn't just come here t' stare at me." He said in a languid tone, eyeing the amber drink in his glass with a detached quality in his expression. His gaze then turned to her and a humorous glint lit his eyes. "Dough I'm sure it was _one_ of de reasons."

Rogue rolled her eyes in disgust, never ceasing to wonder how such an inflated ego like his really could exist. 'Alien experiment gone wrong' was her only explanation.

She eyed him thoughtfully, considering her next move.

It had been a complete surprise for her to find out that Gambit had been this legendary _Le Diable Blanc_. She had expected an older man, or at least someone who looked a bit seasoned, with the reputation that surrounded the name. Though the 'devil' part of the name she could understand. Wasn't such a stretch considering his red on black eyes. They practically screamed mischief and sin.

But it struck her that Gambit was the _only_ thief who could help her as no one else was apt enough to take on the challenge the Rhavain facility proposed. The realisation that she had to ask _him_ for help tasted like bitter, bitter gall on her tongue.

_Him_ she hadn't even known was a thief until now. When she had asked him of his occupation he had evadingly answered something in the lines of mercenary work. How would she be able to trust him? Apparently he wasn't just a thief, but a liar and a miscreant. It boded no well for her future and if she ever was going to make a partnership work she had to be on her guard. Like a dog eyeing the fox.

She glowered at him.

"Why are you here then?" She asked. "Dumped buckethead already?"

"M' contract ended." He admitted and drank his bourbon.

"Your contract?" Rogue mused. "Hired thief then, Ah presume. Forgot to mention that last time Ah asked yah."

He only shrugged.

"They say yah're the best thief to find." Rogue continued slowly, trying to pry more information out of him. She needed to stall, make him talk so she could get the time and make a decision. Gambit may be the only one who could help her, but was a partnership with him worth the mission?

Gambit flashed her a grin. "'Course, _chère_. M' a master t'ief after all."

"_Master Thief_?" Rogue asked, genuinely surprised. She arched an eyebrow. "Yah have a ranking system?"

"_Certainement_, why wouldn't we?" He gave a laconic shrug.

Rogue's eyebrow rose even higher. "What rank is Master Thief, then?" She asked, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Gambit leaned back on the couch, draping an arm across the backrest. The corner of his mouth curled up in a slow Cheshire cat grin.

"The highest." He replied confidently, no sign of modesty in his voice. Rogue's brow furrowed and she was just about to give some snappy remark when it suddenly hit her.

"Does it…" She sucked her lower lip and rephrased the question in her mind. "How many Master Thieves are there?"

Gambit quirked an eyebrow, looking at her quizzical. "Ten." He replied succinctly, his tone more puzzled than curt.

"Really?" Rogue couldn't help but to feel a small hope flicker in her chest, like she was seeing a sliver of the sun through a heavy rain cloud. She was almost on the verge to ask where she could find them before she rephrased the question to, "Where are they?"

Gambit shrugged. "_Qui sait_? Haven't heard from dem in years."

The sun disappeared and Rogue's dashed hope went down the drain. _So much for that_, she thought bitterly and sighed heavily. When she peered at Gambit he was studying her reaction but his face didn't reveal any emotions but a slight curiosity. "Yah sure yah don't know where they are? Haven't heard anything from them?"

"_Je suis sûr_." He leaned forward a fraction and flashed her a disarming grin. "Now dat I've answered all your questions mebbe y' can answer mine. Y' came here to…?"

Rogue stared at him, perplexed. There really was no other option than to tell the truth. He was the only one who could help her and she really needed to do this mission. She had uncovered the plans behind the human sentinel and she had an obligation to finish the mission, she felt it into her very core. This was her job and she couldn't hand it over to someone else with clear conscience. All she needed was Gambit's help and then she could get it done. _But oh, mother, this is gonna be painful._

Unconsciously she gripped her knees as she was bracing herself and fixed her gaze on the table in front of her, not willing to look Gambit in the eyes while she asked.

"Ah came here to-… to…ask," Her grip tightened and she squirmed in her seat as if it was physically agonizing to form the words. It was with force she spat out the rest of the words. "To ask for your help." She finally managed.

Gambit's eyebrows shot upward.

"Help? From me?

"Yes."

"Really?"

"_Yes_."

"Y' sure?"

"One more word and Ah'll wipe that smug grin off your face _permanently_."

If only it made his grin only widen as her temper flared. Oh, he really enjoyed to irritate her. His eyes were practically glinting in amusement. It was every bit as painful as Rogue thought it would be.

Her glower reached new dimensions of toxicity.

"So," Gambit drawled, looking about as content as a cat in the sun after a huge meal. "What can I do for y?"

It was a surprise Rogue had any teeth left after all the teeth grinding.

"It's a mission." She revealed while trying to reign in the urge to strangle him. _Calm down girl_, she thought. _Yah need _him_, not his carcass. Think of Dalai Lama. Calmness and serenity. _

"Hmm, I got de impressions y' were aiming for somet'ing entirely different." _Calmness and serenity_. "'Less de mission involves long nights," _Dalai Lama, Dalai Lama_. "lot o' sweat an'-"

She interrupted him with a bristle and spat a few curses his direction.

"-recon and planning. _Quoi?_ What did y' t'ink I was gonna say?"

Her breath wheezed out of her clenched teeth in an angry hiss. Gambit chuckled.

"Easy dere, kitty cat, b'fore y' tie your tail in a knot." He drank the last of his bourbon and shifted position a fraction. Though the same grin was still playing on his face she could feel that it was time to get down to business.

Her facial expression smoothen a little as she calmed down, though her anger still simmered beneath the surface, ready to explode at the smallest sign.

"What kind of mission are we talkin' 'bout?" He asked in a sombre voice.

"Break-in. Rhavain facility." She answered in a mutter, still feeling a bit peeved. Gambit looked at her in surprise.

"Y' sure pick your targets, _chère_." His face morphed into a thoughtful expression and for once was silent. Rogue stared at him blankly for several moments before an ill notion stirred in her.

"Yah can break in there… can't yah?" She asked gingerly when he hadn't made any further comments, looking at him unsurely. He looked up at her and blinked, for a second looking as if he hadn't heard her.

"'Course I can. M' a Master T'ief after all." He replied in the same cocky tone as ever.

Rogue rolled her eyes and drawled, "Right. Sorry, Ah forgot."

Gambit nodded absently, either missing the irony in her tone or ignoring it.

"What's de objective of the mission?" He inquired at length. "Sabotage? Theft?

"Essentially; escorting. Ah need yah to get me in there so Ah can destroy a certain document, wherever it is."

"_Non_."

Rogue blinked. "What'yah mean 'no'?"

"_Non_ as in, I don't escort people. I steal, I sabotage and _quelquefois_ I do mercenary work, _mais_ _jamais_ escorting missions. It involves partnership."

"And partnership is bad, why?"

"Too much work when y' have t' teach even de simple basics as not to set de alarms _toujours_. Would never work."

"Correct me if Ah'm wrong." Rogue tilted her head to the side and peered at him through narrowed eyes. "Yah're saying no to me?"

"I'm saying no t' partnership. However, if you'd tell m' what y' want t' destroy, I'll do it in a flash _pour toi_." He grinned devilishly.

"No way!" Rogue exclaimed. "It's mah solo mission and Ah'd rather keel over and die than to give it to someone else. "

"_Solo_ mission? Not so much solo if y've got me anyway."

Rogue hesitated and licked her lip. "The Professor says Ah need… backup if anything happens. Besides," She continued in a reproachful tone. "Ah'm qualified for this job. Ah can break an entry."

"Really?" Gambit drawled, unconvinced.

"Yes!"

"Can y' plan a heist?"

"Wha- uh. No, can't say Ah've done that."

"Your lock pickin' skill?"

"Sort of, well, nonexistent."

"Alarm deactivation?"

"Ah've done that. Once."

"Stealth skill? Hacking? Previous experience? Acting skill?"

The longer the list grew the more Rogue came to realise how complex a single heist could be. Her version of a heist wasn't more complicated than bash the windows in, grab the goods and then bolt. Now she was proven how very wrong she could be. But however right Gambit was, Rogue still had it hard to be proven wrong by someone she didn't like. Her lips were pressed to a thin line and her expression steeled.

"Y' still t'ink y' can do it?" He asked mildly.

Rogue didn't answer him.

"_Tu sais_, I can do de job for y'. It would be easier and definitely cheaper."

"No, it would be pointless 'cause Ah'm the one who's supposed to do it. Yah're just a sidekick."

"M' flattered." He deadpanned.

"Ah need to do this." She emphasized and looked him square in the eyes. Maybe he heard something in her tone or saw something in her eyes because he suddenly paused and seemed to absorb the situation, silently. She could almost see how the thoughts raced though his mind, risks and rewards properly weighted and measured with a flash of his eyes and a twitch of his mouth. He held her gaze.

Rogue waited in silence. He had to agree. It was essential, otherwise she couldn't proceed. Otherwise, it wouldn't even _be_ a mission to accomplish. But she couldn't say or do anything more than she already had to convince him. It was up to him now.

His eyes averted hers for a second.

"Y' really are dat desperate, aren't y'?" He said it an even tone, without any sort of subtext, but it still grated on Rogue's pride, like nails scratching a black board, to be called _desperate_. Nevertheless, she gave a short nod (she could acknowledge it was true on some level). He sighed theatrically.

"I suppose I can't say no t' a lady in distress." He finally said and Rogue's heart did a flip flop in sheer excitement and at the same time she managed to frown at the expression. Lady in distress?

"But," He said warningly and Rogue caught herself. "There will be conditions." The corner of his mouth curled up in a smug grin. She blinked. _Oh, this can't be good_.

"_Premièrement_, y' will agree t' training wit' me b'fore de actual mission." He said and ticked it off with a finger.

Rogue stiffened.

"_Deuxièmement_, I will be in charge _toujours_. If I say run, y' run. If I say don't move, y don't move." Another finger.

"_Troisièmement_. We won't go near Rhavain facility until I say y're ready. _D'accord_?"

Rogue stared at him, speechless, her jaw hanging slack. _He must out of his- !_

Gambit grinned and opened his mouth, most assuredly to make another teasing innuendo when the door opened and a man peeked in.

"Mr. Lebeau, I'm sorry to disturb you but you have a phone call waiting."

Gambit nodded and turned to Rogue who was still sitting motionless like a stone statue. "That is my offer, _chère_. Why won't y' t'ink 'bout it while I'm gone."

Before she even had the chance to say a word he had already left the room. Silence fell and she suddenly became aware of how lonely it was to sitting in a strange room, all by herself. When the shock finally released its hold of her, she slowly shook her head and ran a hand through her hair.

What in the world had she gotten herself into?

The glass of bourbon she had so far ignored was still placed on the table in front of her. Without thinking, she took it and drank all of it in one sweep. The drink exploded in her stomach like fire and she coughed hoarsely in surprise, wheezing her breath in.

When the worst had settled, she sighed heavily and dropped back on the couch and closed her eyes. The fire in her stomach slowly faded and was replaced by a warm comfortable feeling that spread out through her limbs, loosening the tension in her muscles.

She peered through her lashes, her vision strangely obscured as she processed what she had just heard.

Training? With Gambit? When her day couldn't have gone any worse, he stepped up the game another notch.

She bit her lower lip, frustrated, but forced herself to relax and let her mind wander.

The barriers that kept the psyches at bay fell at her command and the psyches emerged into the world she called her mind, joyful and excited to be released. Like weightless, shimmering ghosts they floated around, laughing and playing like there wasn't a care in the world.

Rogue watched them with her inner eye, almost smiling at the display. With great caution she projected images and impressions of what had just happened between her and Gambit. They absorbed the information eagerly and started to chatter among each other, sending their own thoughts and opinions back and forward.

»_What do Ah do?_« She asked them when she was done. Rejoiced by all the attention they suddenly got, the psyches enthusiastically sent her all kinds of suggestions.

Some wanted her to break the promise she made to the Professor and break into the Rhavain facility on her own. Some wanted her to go on a vacation to Hawaii instead. Some wanted her to decline and go home, but the majority of the Psyches wanted her to accept and give it a go.

Rogue listened to every one of them, feeling a small pang of guilt as she felt their happiness to be able to help her. _Ah should do this more often_, she thought remorsefully.

In the middle of the entire racket she could feel Gambit's psyche brush against her conscious. He had been listening and projected his amusement with that one touch. Rogue didn't acknowledge him, but neither did she push him away. When he simmered around her, she forced her focus back to the task at hand.

She was bathing in a sea of doubts and hesitation. The options were clear before her; go home or agree to Gambit's conditions and endure. It was a lose-lose situation for her.

Irritation gnawed on her nerves and she dug her fingers in her arms like claws.

"Goddamn stupid swamp rat! Ah'm gonna knock him over with a frying pan and feed him to the gators!" Seething, she gritted her teeth and spewed another batch of profanities.

»_Oh, come on Rogue!_« A voice of reason exclaimed in her mind. »_You already know what to do, otherwise you wouldn't be so aggravated._«

Rogue snorted, disbelieving. It wasn't at all that easy!

But she soon found out that no matter how much she twisted and turned on the situation there was no way around it.

_Ah'm gonna kill him for putting me in this situation!_ She thought vindictively.

At the same time, Gambit stepped inside of the room, his eyes landing directly on her. Rogue stood up and turned to him to glower.

"Fahne!" She snapped. "Ah accept your terms."

Gambit nodded, his mouth twitching as if a grin in triumph was about to break out.

"_D'accord_."

"But Ah won't call yah by your real name." Rogue added stubbornly. "This is work and yah said Gambit was your job name so that's what Ah'll call yah."

"Fair 'nuff."

"And _no_ flirting."

"I'll try to exercise m' legendary self-control den." He grinned. Rogue glared.

"No touching."

He chuckled. "I t'ink it'll be hard for y' t' keep your hands off me."

Her expression darkened for a second but she soon smothered her annoyance. With crossed arms in front of her chest, she stepped up to him and arched her neck to look him in the eye.

"We have a deal then." She declared, her voice stern.

"So we do." He hummed and kissed the back of her hand softly, his eyes never leaving hers.

*

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**French translations ;**

_Chère_ – Dear

'_Scusez moi, mesdames et messieurs_ – Excuse me ladies and gentlemen

_Chérie_ – Darling

_C'est moi_ – That's me

_Certainement_ – For sure,

_Qui sait?_ – Who knows?

_Je suis sûr_ – I'm certain

_Quoi? _– What?

_Non_ – No

_Quelquefois_ – Sometimes

_Mais_ – But

_Jamais_ – Never

_Toujours_ – All the time, Always

_Pour toi_ – For you

_Tu sais_ – You know

_Premièrement_ – Firstly

_Deuxièmement_ – Secondly

_Troisièmement_ – Thirdly

_D'accord_ – Okay

**A/n; **Hello good people, I'm back from my vacation!

And thanks to **tfobmv18, Luka1Sakura** and **ChamberlinofMusic**. I had a great vacation ^^

Thanks to everybody who reviewed, it was very fun to come home with a full mailbox!

So I'm back and running again. I wrote this chapter on my vacation and when I came home I edited it. I've celebrated my birthday, 18 (which means I can now drive car, drink and smoke legally. Oh great day) and already started my last year of school. And with our grand school system we have, the last year is not the worst, I've already gone through the most taxing part (at one point I thought I was going to fall apart into teeny tiny bits of all the pressure, but I managed) Still no idea what I want to do after school but hopefully it'll work out somehow *whew*.

So what happens in our story now? Rogue did finally agree to work with Gambit, and take thievery lessons from him, after a lot of pain. Gambit will be, well Gambit and be as shameless as always, to Rogue's great chagrin. Just wait and see what he does next chapter;

**Chapter 15; Turn and Turn Again**

Now my customary plea for reviews;

As a birthday present? *puppy eyes*

See yah soon!

Hugs,

Fahne


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